Who's Afraid of the Great Mikaela Shiffrin? “We all know her Olympic drama, she's probably thinking about it”
Article by Oana Duşmănescu – Published Wednesday, February 18, 2026, 10:31 / Updated Wednesday, February 18, 2026 10:34
The American skier Mikaela Shiffrin, 30 years old, the most decorated female skier in the history of alpine skiing, will compete today, in the slalom, from 11:00 (first round) and 2:00 (second round), respectively, for the last time at the Olympic Games in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo. Although he has already secured his little crystal ball this season and won 6 out of 7 World Cup slaloms, his Olympic performance has been disastrous.
From the Olympic Games in Beijing in 2022, the star of alpine skiing left empty-handed. And this despite the fact that he competed in all disciplines. A similar scenario threatens the American even now, four years later. Doubts were not only fueled by past memories or unpleasant experiences, but also by the performance in the team event, where he and Breezy Johnson attacked for gold, but after the fourth slowest downhill in the slalom, they finished fourth.
Shiffrin was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress symptoms after a terrible fall in 2024 that left her with psychological after-effects for a good while.
“We all know her Olympic drama, I think she's thinking about it even now. It's a difficult situation. She wins almost every race by a second and suddenly she gets a second, and that without a mistake.” said the best Austrian slalom skier of the season, Katharina Truppe, in an interview with Kronen Zeitung.
While in most World Cup races the name Mikaela Shiffrin inspires fear, in these circumstances, the opponents are much more confident. “Whoever wins seven out of eight races is definitely the favorite. But I'm curious how he will do on Wednesday, it won't be any easier,” believes Austria's Katharina Huber, who, together with Ariane Rädler, became Olympic champion in the team event.
Another Austrian technical specialist, Katharina Gallhuber, also believes that the American should not be underestimated, but admits that her aura of invincibility has dissipated. “It would be a huge mistake. They will certainly do everything to be at the start with the most confidence. But I think it is possible to beat her.” she added.
Mikaela Shiffrin will complete her fourth participation in the Winter Olympics. At the first he won the gold in the slalom, at the second the gold in the giant slalom and the silver in the alpine combined. Since 2018, he has not added another precious medal to his Olympic collection.
