Mikaela Shiffrin has finally conquered her Olympic drought. At 30 years old, she secured her third Olympic gold medal in women’s slalom in the Dolomites, clocking in at 1:39.10. This win makes her the first American skier to achieve such a feat.
In a stunning performance, Shiffrin left Switzerland’s Camille Rast—last season’s world champion—trailing 1.5 seconds behind for the silver. That winning margin was the largest in Olympic alpine skiing since 1998. Sweden’s Anna Swenn-Larsson claimed the bronze, while everyone else finished over two seconds off the pace.
Wearing bib number 7, Shiffrin faced a slight stumble in her first run when she clipped a gate. But she quickly recovered, finishing with an impressive lead of 0.82 seconds over Germany’s Lena Duerr, marking the biggest lead at the halfway point in Olympic women’s slalom in 66 years.
After Duerr couldn’t finish her second run, Shiffrin continued to dominate. She became only the second female athlete to win Olympic slalom multiple times, following in the footsteps of Switzerland’s Vreni Schneider. Overwhelmed, she celebrated with her mother and coach, Eileen, who stood by the finish line.
Reflecting on her journey, Shiffrin told NBC, “I just said: ‘Stop dreaming, just ski.’ I’m so happy to do the right thing at the right moment.”
Shiffrin’s past performances include gold at 18 in Sochi and giant slalom gold plus combined silver in Pyeongchang. Yet, her experience in Beijing four years ago was a tough one with no medals and three disqualifications. Many questioned whether a serious crash in a 2021 World Cup race had affected her performance permanently.
Despite doubts, Shiffrin proved her critics wrong. This win makes her the oldest American woman to claim gold in alpine skiing, marking 12 years after she first made history as the youngest. With an incredible 81% success rate in her slalom races after leading the first run, she’s solidified her reputation as one of the sport’s elite.
Experts note that Shiffrin’s triumph can inspire not only aspiring athletes but also those facing setbacks in any field. It showcases resilience and the ability to rise above challenges, reinforcing the idea that determination can pave the way to success.
For those interested in more about Olympic history and current athlete achievements, visit NBC Sports.
