U.S. Alpine Skier Mikaela Shiffrin Finishes Another Olympic Race Without a Medal

Shiffrin’s Olympic struggles continue as she places 11th in the women’s giant slalom at Milan-Cortina, extending her medal drought to eight consecutive events.

The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina have proven to be another challenging chapter in Mikaela Shiffrin’s Olympic career. On Sunday, the legendary American alpine skier finished 11th in the women’s giant slalom, marking yet another disappointing result in a Games that has so far eluded her grasp.[2]

Federica Brignone of Italy claimed victory with a combined time of 2 minutes and 13.50 seconds, securing her second gold medal of these Olympics.[2] Sweden’s Sara Hector and Norway’s Thea Louise Stjernesund tied for silver, posting identical times in both of their runs—a stunning coincidence in an event where hundredths of seconds typically separate competitors.[2] Shiffrin’s combined time of 2:14.42 left her 0.92 seconds behind the winner, a significant margin in alpine skiing.[2]

A Stark Contrast: World Cup Dominance vs. Olympic Struggles

The disparity between Shiffrin’s performances at the World Cup level and the Olympic stage has become increasingly difficult to ignore. Entering the Milan-Cortina Games, Shiffrin was the all-time leader in World Cup victories, a testament to her consistency and skill across the sport’s most competitive regular-season circuit.[2] Just days before Sunday’s giant slalom, she had won seven of her last eight World Cup slalom races, demonstrating the form that has made her one of alpine skiing’s greatest athletes.[2]

Yet this momentum has repeatedly failed to translate to Olympic success. Shiffrin’s 11th-place finish extends her Olympic medal drought to eight consecutive events, a troubling streak for an athlete of her caliber.[2] The question lingering in the minds of ski enthusiasts and analysts alike is whether the Olympic Games present a psychological barrier—a “brick-wall mental block,” as one report described it—that even the most talented skiers struggle to overcome.[2]

A History of Olympic Disappointment

This is not Shiffrin’s first Olympic disappointment. At the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, she won gold in the giant slalom and silver in super combined, establishing herself as an Olympic champion.[3] However, her performances at subsequent Games have been markedly different.

Four years ago in Beijing, Shiffrin went 0 for 6 on podiums and failed to cross the finish line three times.[2] Her best individual result that year was a ninth-place finish in the super-G—a far cry from the podium performances expected of an athlete of her stature.[2] Those Games seemed to signal the beginning of her Olympic struggles, a trend that has continued into 2026.

Sunday’s Performance: A Missed Opportunity

On Sunday, Shiffrin’s first run showed promise but ultimately fell short. Skiing on a cool but sunny day at the Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre, she completed the course in 1:04.25, the best time among the four American competitors but 1.02 seconds behind Brignone.[2] This placed her in seventh position heading into the afternoon session, leaving room for improvement in the second run.

However, the second run did not bring the comeback Shiffrin needed. While her run started strong, she lost crucial time in the middle section of the course, ultimately finishing with a combined time that left her outside the medals.[2]

A Discipline Where Shiffrin Excels—Except at Olympics

The giant slalom is particularly significant in Shiffrin’s career. She holds the women’s record for most World Cup wins in the discipline with 22 victories.[2] This makes her Olympic struggles in this event even more perplexing. Between January 2024 and last month, Shiffrin endured an 11-race podium drought in giant slalom, though she has shown steady improvement since the end of 2025, progressing from sixth-place to third-place finishes in World Cup competitions leading into the Olympics.[2]

Looking Forward

Shiffrin’s Olympic journey at Milan-Cortina is far from over. With multiple events remaining, there is still time for her to break her medal drought and reclaim the podium finishes that have defined her World Cup career. However, each passing event without a medal adds weight to the narrative of Olympic underperformance that has shadowed her recent Games experiences.

For fans of alpine skiing and Team USA, Shiffrin’s situation raises broader questions about the nature of Olympic competition. Why do some athletes who dominate their sport’s regular season struggle when the stakes are highest and the spotlight is brightest? Whether it’s pressure, course conditions, or something less tangible, Shiffrin’s continued struggles suggest that even extraordinary talent and preparation may not be enough to overcome whatever challenge the Olympic stage presents for her.

As the Games continue, all eyes remain on whether Shiffrin can finally break through and add another Olympic medal to her remarkable resume.

Original source: NPR News – U.S. Alpine skier Mikaela Shiffrin finishes another Olympic race without a medal