Mikaela Shiffrin Wins Gold, Makes History at the Olympics
Mikaela Shiffrin won the gold medal in women's slalom at the Olympics on Wednesday afternoon, becoming the most decorated U.S. alpine skier in Olympic history. She holds the record for the most Olympic gold medals (three) and ties Julia Mancuso for the most Olympic medals by a U.S. woman in alpine skiing with four.
Shiffrin's Dominant Performance
Shiffrin attacked the course from the start, setting a strong pace in the first run and maintaining her lead in the second. Her combined time put her over a second ahead of Swiss skier Camille Rast, who took silver, while Anna Swenn Larsson of Sweden completed the podium in bronze.
The win silenced Shiffrin's critics and thrilled her fans, solidifying her status as a force to be reckoned with in World Cup racing. She has amassed 108 World Cup wins, breaking Ingemar Stenmark's previous record of 86 victories. Despite having three Olympic medals coming into Cortina, she struggled at the Beijing Olympics with DNFs in three events. This win showcases her grit and determination to keep pushing, cementing her legacy as the greatest of all time (GOAT) with her four Olympic medals: three golds (slalom, 2014; giant slalom, 2018; slalom, 2026) and one silver (combined, 2018).
"I think there's many people who can take that title (the GOAT) and many were skiing today," Shiffrin said. "This is a sport where we get to share the beautiful feelings. Even if one can be on the top of the podium, we share it together."
Her victory margin was impressive—a 1.5-second lead, the biggest in Olympic slalom since Vreni Schneider's 1.68-second win in 1998. Her 1.5-second margin exceeded the combined winning margins of the 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, and 2022 Olympic women's slalom races. Additionally, at 30 years and 342 days, she became the second-oldest woman to win Olympic slalom gold and the oldest American woman to win Olympic gold in alpine skiing.
Team USA's Performance
Paula Moltzan finished eighth, with the fastest second run of the day, after a disappointing 29th-place result in the first run. Jackie Wiles also contributed to Team USA's success with a medal in the team combined.
"I think you have to experience the emotions as they come because if you keep them inside, it's going to hold you back," Moltzan said.
AJ Hurt placed 19th, expressing her happiness with her result: "I'm happy with finding the finish two months in a row. The second run was pretty turny, but I'm still happy with my skiing."
Nina O'Brien did not finish the first run.
The women's slalom marked the final alpine race of the Olympic program, concluding the Games on an emotional note. Team USA's medals in alpine skiing included: Breezy Johnson (downhill gold), Moltzan and Wiles (team combined bronze), Ryan Cochran-Siegle (super-G silver), and Shiffrin (slalom gold).
Results
Women's Olympic slalom: [See full results here]