Mikaela Shiffrin finishes 11th in women's giant slalom at 2026 Winter Olympics
Mikaela Shiffrin, one of alpine skiing's most prominent competitors, finished 11th in the women's giant slalom at the 2026 Winter Olympics. The result represents a surprising setback for the American star in an event where she has been widely counted among the frontrunners.
Race recap
The women's giant slalom was decided over two runs on the Olympic course. Shiffrin completed both runs but posted a combined time that left her outside the top 10. Conditions were challenging through parts of the field, and small errors were costly on a technical course that rewarded clean, aggressive skiing.
Shiffrin's performance fell short of podium pace on critical sections of the course, and several rivals produced cleaner lines to climb the leaderboard. While the giant slalom has two runs that can produce dramatic swings in position, an 11th-place finish marks one of Shiffrin's less successful outings at a major international start.
Unexpected result and reaction
The placement will be read as a surprise given Shiffrin's track record and status in the sport. She arrived at the Games with strong credentials in technical events, and expectations from observers were high. Still, alpine skiing at the Olympic level can hinge on fractions of a second, and even the sport's top athletes can have off days.
Shiffrin and team staff stressed a measured response after the race. The tone was one of perspective rather than alarm: a single result does not define a season or an Olympiad. The athlete emphasized focusing on the elements she can control—execution, recovery and preparation for upcoming events—while processing what went wrong on this day.
Road ahead
The giant slalom outcome shifts attention quickly to the remainder of the Olympic alpine program. Shiffrin is expected to contest additional technical events where she has historically been strongest, and the team plans to recalibrate training and tactics in the short window before the next competitions.
For the broader delegation, the result is an early reminder of how unforgiving Olympic racing can be. Team leadership framed the finish as a challenge to be met with resilience rather than a catalyst for panic. Athletes and coaches will use the feedback from the giant slalom runs to refine setups and runs in subsequent races.
Shiffrin's career has included many highs on the World Cup circuit and previous championship events, and she has demonstrated an ability to rebound from disappointments. With several alpine events still to come, she and her rivals will have opportunities to chase medals as the Games progress.
