Mikaela Shiffrin Ends Eight‑Year Olympic Medal Drought with Dominant Slalom Gold
Team USA’s alpine skiing star Mikaela Shiffrin delivered a commanding performance in the women’s slalom at the 2026 Milano‑Cortina Winter Olympics, capturing gold and ending a long Olympic medal drought. The 30‑year‑old American finished 1.50 seconds ahead of silver medallist Camille Rast of Switzerland, underscoring her dominance in her signature discipline.
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Shiffrin’s victory came after a near‑perfect two‑run day at the Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre in Cortina d’Ampezzo. She established control early, building a sizeable lead of 0.82 seconds after the first run and extending that advantage with a confident second, crossing the line with a combined time of 1:39.10.
This gold medal marks Shiffrin’s first Olympic podium in eight years, ending a run of Olympics where she failed to medal despite entering as a favourite.
The win also makes her the first U.S. alpine skier to claim three Olympic gold medals in her career, having previously won slalom gold in 2014 and giant slalom in 2018.
Switzerland & Sweden Also Medal
Behind her, Rast claimed the first Olympic medal of her career, while Sweden’s Anna Swenn Larsson took bronze, finishing 1.71 seconds off the lead. Shiffrin’s triumph brought a wave of emotion after challenging results earlier in these Games, including an 11th‑place finish in giant slalom and a hard‑fought fourth in the team combined.
The slalom victory not only puts her medal drought behind her but also cements her status at the pinnacle of her sport as the Milano‑Cortina Olympics continue.
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