Mikaela Shiffrin Wins Slalom Gold, Ends 8-Year Olympic Drought

Shiffrin triumphs in Slalom, silences critics

Mikaela Shiffrin overcomes pressure, wins third Olympic gold medal in women's slalom. US skiing legend Mikaela Shiffrin dominates women's slalom, winning first Olympic gold since 2018.

“She receives a lot of press, good and bad, and she's very ‌good at handling it...”

Mikaela Shiffrin has made history again, winning women's slalom gold at the Milano Cortina Games and ending an eight-year Olympic medal drought. The US skiing legend dominated both runs, finishing 1.5 seconds ahead of Switzerland's Camille Rast, who took silver, and Sweden's Anna Swenn Larsson, who claimed bronze.

This victory marks Shiffrin's third Olympic gold medal and fourth overall, tying her with Julia Mancuso for most medals won by a US woman in Alpine skiing. She's also become the first individual Winter Olympian to win gold 12 years apart in the same event.

Mikaela Shiffrin was under pressure after a slow start to the Olympics, but she came out strong in the slalom, leading by 0.82 seconds after the first run. The 2014 Olympic champion was determined to turn things around, and her dominant performance was a clear indication of her focus.

Shiffrin's gold medal win in the slalom was a huge relief, ending her eight-year Olympic medal drought. She finished with a combined time of 1:39.10, 1.5 seconds ahead of silver medalist Camille Rast of Switzerland. This win marks Shiffrin's third Olympic gold medal and fourth overall, tying her with Julia Mancuso for most by a U.S. woman in Alpine skiing.

Lena Duerr's chances of winning a medal were dashed when she straddled the first gate, ending her run prematurely. Meanwhile, Sweden's Cornelia Oehlund had a tough break, breaking a ski pole and failing to finish despite being third after the first run.

Mikaela Shiffrin was overcome with emotion after winning her third Olympic gold medal in the women's slalom, taking a moment to acknowledge the roaring crowd before embracing her mother and coach, Eileen. The 30-year-old American skier dominated both runs, finishing 1.5 seconds ahead of silver medalist Camille Rast of Switzerland.

Shiffrin's emotional victory marked the end of an eight-year Olympic medal drought, cementing her status as one of the greatest alpine skiers of all time. She became the first individual Winter Olympian to win gold 12 years apart in the same event, solidifying her legacy with 108 World Cup victories.

The pressure was palpable for Shiffrin, who'd spoken out about unfair expectations in skiing, saying narratives were built on a “limited understanding” of the sport. She'd finished fourth in the team combined and 11th in the giant slalom, so a slip-up in the slalom would've invited criticism.

GOLDEN AGAIN. 🥇

Mikaela Shiffrin wins Olympic slalom once more, returning to the top of the podium 12 years after her first gold in 2014.#WinterOlympics pic.twitter.com/5qsvIiuguB

— Team USA (@TeamUSA) February 18, 2026

But she delivered when it mattered, dominating the slalom and silencing critics with a gold medal performance.

“She receives a lot of press, good and bad, and she's very ‌good at handling it. But it gets to somebody at some point if people are only saying bad things about you,” said Moltzan, who went from 28th after the first run to eighth.

“We're just human at the end of the day. And she's just a human. Mistakes happen. You don't have the perfect run, ⁠and we get ripped apart by people ⁠that sit on the couch and ‌that sucks.”