American star Mikaela Shiffrin successfully won the gold medal in the slalom race at the 2026 Winter Olympics, putting an end to an eight-year absence from the Olympic podium and confirming her status as one of the greatest skiers in history.
Shiffrin entered the competition as the top favorite to win and managed to confirm expectations after leading the first run. She continued her brilliance in the second run, securing the race in her favor with a comfortable margin of one and a half seconds over Swiss skier Camille Rast. Swedish skier Anna Swenn-Larsson came in third place, 1.71 seconds behind, to claim the bronze medal.
A Third Gold in a Legendary Career
With this achievement, Shiffrin, 30, has raised her tally to three Olympic gold medals. She previously won the slalom gold at the 2014 Sochi Olympics and the giant slalom gold at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics before returning to the top once again at the Milan-Cortina edition.
A Strong Comeback After Years of Waiting
This victory marks a strong comeback for the American champion to the Olympic podium, confirming her ability to maintain her high level despite fierce competition and to continue writing a new chapter in her career full of achievements in alpine skiing.
Mikaela Shiffrin
Mikaela Shiffrin is an American alpine ski racer, widely regarded as one of the greatest skiers of all time. She made history by becoming the youngest slalom champion in Olympic alpine skiing history at the 2014 Sochi Games and has since broken the all-time World Cup wins record.
Winter Olympics
The Winter Olympics is a major international multi-sport event held every four years, featuring sports practiced on snow and ice. It was first held in Chamonix, France, in 1924, and has since grown to become a global celebration of winter sports, showcasing athletic excellence and fostering international cooperation.
slalom
Slalom is a competitive alpine skiing discipline where racers navigate a series of closely spaced gates in the shortest possible time. It originated in the Swiss Alps in the 1920s as a test of technical precision and agility, evolving from informal races through forest clearings marked by flags. It became an official Olympic event at the 1936 Winter Games in Garmisch-Partenkirchen.
Camille Rast
Camille Rast is a historic village in the Swiss canton of Vaud, situated on a terrace overlooking Lake Geneva. Its origins date back to at least the 12th century, and it is known for its well-preserved rural architecture, including traditional wooden houses and a notable 18th-century church.
Anna Swenn-Larsson
Anna Swenn-Larsson is a Swedish World Cup alpine skier specializing in slalom, who has competed on the international circuit since the late 2000s. She has achieved multiple World Cup podium finishes and won a bronze medal in the team event at the 2021 World Championships.
Sochi
Sochi is a major resort city on the Black Sea coast in Russia, historically developed as a premier health and vacation destination under the Soviet Union. It gained significant global recognition after hosting the 2014 Winter Olympics, which led to extensive modern infrastructure development in its mountain and coastal areas.
PyeongChang
PyeongChang is a county in South Korea’s Gangwon Province, best known internationally for hosting the 2018 Winter Olympics. Its history as a winter sports destination was solidified with the construction of the Alpensia and Yongpyong resorts, which were central to the Games. The area has since become a major hub for tourism and seasonal sports in East Asia.
Milan-Cortina
Milan-Cortina refers to the joint bid and successful hosting of the 2026 Winter Olympics, which will be spread across the two iconic Italian locations of Milan (in Lombardy) and Cortina d’Ampezzo (in the Dolomites). This marks the fourth time Italy has hosted the Olympic Games, with Cortina having previously hosted the Winter Olympics in 1956. The event is designed to utilize existing and temporary venues across the northern Italian regions, emphasizing sustainability and legacy.
