Mikaela Shiffrin Opens Up About Women's Alpine Skiing Disappointment, Crash Recovery
Mikaela Shiffrin landed in a disappointing 11th place after a key women's alpine skiing event on February 15 at the 2026 Winter Olympics. But the American skiing champion was still trying to sound upbeat.
“I think today was a really great practice for a strong, flexible mentality, which is what I want to feel in the coming days as well,” she told Olympics.com, after the disappointing performance in the giant slalom event. The race was an accomplishment, in a sense, because of her work to recover from a devastating 2024 crash.
The race was exceptionally close. According to Olympics.com, Shiffrin "was seventh after her first run, but lost four positions in the second to finish 0.92 seconds behind winner Federica Brignone." According to CNN, the Olympics aren't over for her yet. "Shiffrin still heads into the slalom event as the prohibitive favorite," CNN reported, noting that she skied "conservatively across both runs" on February 15 and has yet to medal.
Mikaela Shiffrin Told Reporters That the Race 'Went Better' Than 'if I Had Expectations'
(Photo by Stefano RELLANDINI / AFP via Getty Images)
Shiffrin was also very close to the second and third-place finishers. She was only "three-tenths of a second behind the two silver medallists," Sara Hector and Thea Louise Stjernesund, the Olympics.com site reported. “I think it went better, sort of, if I had expectations,” Shiffrin told reporters.
“Both runs, I felt I pushed really hard from the start. I was like sending it down the hill and for sure, obviously, I'm three-tenths off the podium. You can say Federica just owned the day," she added, according to Olympics.com.
The winner, Brignone, recovered from a broken leg to win the gold, according to NBC News. She also tore her ACL.
"Actually, I was just happy to be at the Olympics. For me, it was an achievement, like something special, and that’s why I think I won, because I was just happy already and grateful to be here," Brignone told NBC News.
Mikaela Shiffrin Also Fought Back From Injuries
Shiffrin also fought back from severe injuries to even be back on skis.
Shiffrin crashed during a giant slalom race in Vermont in 2024, "leaving her with a puncture wound to her abdomen and muscle trauma," according to NBC.
She also suffered from the lingering effects of PTSD as a result. So she considers it an accomplishment to even be back on the slopes in that event.
"I look back on last year in returning to racing after my injury and returning to giant slalom, I was so far off, and I didn't have a hope of being faster," Shiffrin told NBC News. "Now I'm in touch. I'm in touch with the fastest women, and I have a chance, which, for me, the biggest thing is that ability to dream."
Mikaela Shiffrin Shares a Lot in Common With Her Boyfriend, Aleksander Aamodt Kilde
Shiffrin has a lot in common with her boyfriend, Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, to whom she is engaged to marry. He is also an alpine skier.
He suffered a 'horrific crash' in Wengen in 2024, according to Olympics.com, and recovered from a "surgical infection and the internal demons" from the crash.
The Norwegian skier told Olympics.com that he and Shiffrin have "been a rock for each other.“"
"We're always supporting each other, we're always trying to look at things in a positive way," he said.