2026 Winter Olympics live updates: Mikaela Shiffrin seeks to bounce back in women’s giant slalom
On a fast morning on the Stelvio in Cortina, Mikaela Shiffrin posted a solid first run but sits just off the pace as the field prepares for a decisive second run at 7: 30 a. m. ET. The early leaderboard is tightly packed, leaving the Olympic giant slalom wide open heading into the afternoon.
First run leaves Shiffrin within striking distance
The opening run saw the top-ranked World Cup competitors come down early and push one another hard. Sweden’s Sara Hector and Norway’s Thea Louise Stjernesund currently share the lead with identical times of 1: 03. 97. Shiffrin clocked a 1: 04. 25 in her morning descent — 0. 28 seconds back — after going third on the course. The margin among the first seven starters is razor-thin: all separated by less than half a second.
Austrian giant slalom specialist Julia Scheib, widely seen as one of the strongest contenders on the World Cup circuit this season, sits in sixth after the first run, 0. 39 seconds off the leaders. With times so compressed and the course to be reset for the second run, podium places remain very much undecided.
Shiffrin’s opening effort was tidy rather than all-out aggressive — a measured foundation that keeps her in contention but leaves work to do in the afternoon. Each athlete’s combined time across the two runs will determine final placings, putting a premium on a clean, confident second run.
Road back from injury and an Olympic drought
Shiffrin arrives at Cortina with heavy personal and competitive context. She is a two-time Olympic gold medalist in technical events, but she has not stood on an Olympic podium since PyeongChang 2018. Beijing delivered a difficult Games for her, with multiple crashes and no medals across six starts. This giant slalom is the first of two remaining chances to end that drought; she is also scheduled to race the slalom later in the week.
The U. S. star’s relationship with giant slalom has been complicated by a high-speed crash in November 2024 that left her with a puncture wound and muscle trauma, costing her significant time on snow and prompting a lengthy recovery. She missed weeks of the season and has spoken openly about the psychological aftereffects of that fall; medical support and therapy have been part of her comeback plan. In recent days she has expressed gratitude for being able to compete and pride in how far she has come since the injury.
Earlier in these Games, Shiffrin raced in the new team combined event alongside a teammate who put the pair in position after the downhill, but Shiffrin’s slalom portion proved slower than hoped and the duo finished out of the medals. That result has arguably added impetus to her giant slalom bid — an event in which she is a proven champion when everything clicks.
Conditions, schedule and what to watch in the second run
Snow and weather will play a role in how the afternoon unfolds. Softer, wetter snow can compress gaps and increase unpredictability, while firmer, faster tracks typically reward the discipline’s usual frontrunners. Temperatures have fluctuated this week; overnight cooling and a forecast of near-freezing conditions may firm up the track ahead of the 7: 30 a. m. ET second run, and bright sun is expected to aid visibility for racers who prefer clearer light.
For Shiffrin, the keys will be aggression without overreaching, finding the speed in the upper sections and staying centered through the lower pitches where time can be won or lost. With the top contenders bunched closely after run one, even small margins in the afternoon will decide Olympic hardware.
The giant slalom podium picture remains unsettled. Shiffrin has both the experience and the technical pedigree to mount a late charge; whether she can convert that into a medal will be decided when racers leave the start for the second run at 7: 30 a. m. ET.
