Shiffrin's Fine Margins: 4th Place Finish in Team Combined

Mikaela Shiffrin falls short in Olympic team combined

Mikaela Shiffrin finishes 4th in women's team combined event at Olympics, citing 'fine margins and a lot of variables' in challenging conditions.

“I want to be careful not to make excuses, because it's not really ‌an excuse. It's just that the work we've done...”

Mikaela Shiffrin is taking the loss in stride after her team combined event failure at the Olympics. She and teammate Breezy Johnson finished fourth, missing the podium by just 0.06 seconds. Shiffrin, with a record 108 World Cup victories, had a disappointing slalom run, finishing 15th with a time of 45.38.

Shiffrin isn't making excuses, saying “I didn't quite nail it” and acknowledging she needs to analyze fine margins. Despite her strong technical form, she struggled with the conditions and couldn't find her comfort level. Her teammate Johnson had put them in a great position with a strong downhill run, but Shiffrin's slalom performance fell short.

Mikaela Shiffrin is bouncing back from a tough outing at the Olympics. The 30-year-old skier finished fourth in the women's team combined event, missing the podium by just 0.06 seconds. Shiffrin blamed the soft, spring-like snow on the Olimpia delle Tofane for throwing off her rhythm, saying it's a sport of “fine margins and a lot of variables.”

Shiffrin emphasized that her disappointing performance wasn't about confidence, but rather the subtle sensations that define elite Alpine ski racing. She's taking the loss as a learning experience, saying “I didn't quite nail it” and “there's something to learn from this day.”

Handed the chance to win a gold medal in the team combined event, Mikaela Shiffrin delivered one of the worst slalom races of her career and finished off the podium. 🔗 https://t.co/0hjynLHZwz pic.twitter.com/ObrHOLWShZ

— The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) February 10, 2026

“I didn’t quite nail it. I didn’t quite find a comfort level that allows me to produce full speed,” she told ⁠reporters.

“I want to be careful not to make excuses, because it's not really ‌an excuse. It's just that the work we've done, I've been so prepared for so much, for all the slaloms this year. So there's something to learn from this day, and I'm gonna learn it.”

Mikaela Shiffrin attributed her disappointing performance in the women's team combined event to the subtle sensations that define elite Alpine ski racing, rather than confidence. The 30-year-old skier, who has a record 108 World Cup victories, struggled with the soft, spring-like snow on the Olimpia delle Tofane, failing to find her groove.

Shiffrin, who had won seven of eight slaloms this season, was paired with Breezy Johnson, who had set the fastest downhill time. However, Shiffrin's 15th-fastest slalom run left them in fourth place, missing the podium by 0.06 seconds. Shiffrin emphasized that the sport is about “fine margins and a lot of variables,” particularly in unfamiliar conditions.

Mikaela Shiffrin is taking the high road after missing out on an Olympic medal in the women's team combined event. Despite her disappointing performance, she's focusing on the bigger picture, saying, “We become champions from negative experiences in many ways.” Shiffrin's teammates Paula Moltzan and Jacqueline Wiles secured bronze, and Shiffrin is thrilled for them, saying they “deserve that so much.”

Shiffrin, who has a record 108 World Cup victories, has been through tough times before, including a disastrous Beijing Olympics where she failed to win a single medal. But she's bouncing back, saying she's “delighted to be part of the games” and is looking forward to her next events.