Mikaela Shiffrin feels ‘born again’ after storming to Olympic gold following tragic loss of her father

Mikaela Shiffrin ended her eight-year wait for an Olympic medal by winning slalom gold on Wednesday

Mikaela Shiffrin won an Olympic gold medal on Wednesday (Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Mikaela Shiffrin stood on the Olympic podium, a gold medal gleaming around her neck, her expression a mixture of triumph and profound disbelief.

The American skiing sensation had not merely clinched a slalom victory, ending an eight-year medal drought at the Winter Games and reaffirming her status as arguably the greatest Alpine skier of all time. She had also conquered a deeply personal battle.

"It’s like," Shiffrin reflected, pausing before adding, “being born again."

Competing in what she described as a "spiritual state”, Shiffrin delivered two dominant runs amidst the stunning, jagged peaks of the Dolomites.

Her commanding performance secured the win by a massive 1.50 seconds, making her the first American skier to claim three Alpine gold medals.

In emotional scenes following the race, the 30-year-old was embraced by silver medallist Camille Rast of Switzerland and bronze medallist Anna Swenn Larsson.

Shiffrin was very emotional after finally getting back on the top step of the podium (Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Fighting back tears, she then sought out her mother and coach, Eileen, for a long, deep hug near the finish line.

Throughout her journey, Shiffrin revealed, her thoughts were never far from her father, Jeff, who tragically died at 65 in an accident at the family home in Colorado in February 2020.

"This was a moment I have dreamed about — I’ve also been very scared of this moment," Shiffrin confessed.

"Everything in life that you do after you lose someone you love is like a new experience. And," she added, her voice trembling, "I still have so many moments where I resist this. I don’t want to be in life without my dad. And maybe today was the first time that I could actually accept this, like, reality."

Her victory marked the largest margin in any Olympic Alpine skiing event since 1998 and the third biggest in women’s slalom – the very discipline she won as an 18-year-old prodigy in Sochi in 2014, cementing her burgeoning superstar status.

Twelve years on, having navigated immense expectations, a disappointing 0-for-6 performance at the 2022 Olympics, becoming the most successful World Cup skier of all time with a record 108 victories, and overcoming two significant crashes alongside a battle with post-traumatic stress disorder, she once again delivered in her favoured event. Her skiing career, in a profound sense, had come full circle.

"Maybe," she mused, "just today, I realised what happened to me in Sochi."

At the medal ceremony, she shook her hands by her side before receiving her medal, then brought one hand to her mouth as it was placed around her neck.

For Shiffrin, this moment also represented a release from the immense pressure that had mounted after eight Olympic races without a medal since adding gold and silver to her collection in Pyeongchang in 2018.

The Beijing struggles were followed this year in Cortina by a fourth-place finish in the team combined and an 11th place in the giant slalom.

This provided fodder for "keyboard warriors”, Shiffrin acknowledged, but she ignored them all to produce a masterpiece on Tuesday.

"I couldn’t think of a more well-deserved medal for an athlete to win," said Sophie Goldschmidt, president and CEO of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association.

Shiffrin has suffered plenty of Olympic heartbreak but stormed to victory on Wednesday (Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

"She’s been so dominant but as we know these big sporting moments in the Olympics bring extra pressure and scrutiny. And to see her ski that well and just go for it, I couldn’t be prouder of her."

Shiffrin now boasts three Olympic golds and a silver, adding to her record World Cup wins, which include 71 in slalom – also a record.

Her collection also features world titles in slalom (four), giant slalom, and super-G, solidifying what is arguably the greatest career in Alpine racing. "In another league," was how Larsson described her.

Shiffrin had led by 0.82 seconds after the first run on a mostly flat course, which Team USA officials had described to her over the radio as a "high-tempo ripper."

There was a momentary wobble when she struck a gate, and for a fraction of a second, it seemed another Olympic disappointment loomed. Not this time.

She quickly regained her composure, posting a time in the No. 7 bib that no one could approach. "When I saw one second (behind) after the first run," Rast admitted, "I was like, ‘OK, the gold is gone.’"

While attempting to nap before her second run, Shiffrin revealed she began to cry, thinking of her father.

"And then," she added, "I was thinking about the fact that I actually can show up today and honestly say in the start gate that I have all the tools that are necessary to do my best skiing, and to earn that moment."

Given her emotions, Shiffrin’s second run was impressively smooth. She navigated the tough top section flawlessly and powered through the slower middle.

After crossing the finish line, Shiffrin slowly squatted, taking a private moment to reflect on all the people who had brought her to this point.

"I felt every range of emotion in the last three months, the last four months, the last four years, the last eight years," Shiffrin concluded.

"There’s so many different journeys I’ve been on to just be here today."