Mikaela Shiffrin Misses Podium in Women’s Giant Slalom, Olympic Drought Persists
Mikaela Shiffrin’s pursuit of an Olympic medal continues as she finished 11th in the women’s giant slalom at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. Her combined time was 2:14.42, falling short of a podium finish despite clean runs. Following her second run, Shiffrin displayed a positive demeanor, blowing out her cheeks and waving to enthusiastic fans.
Performance Summary
- Event: Women’s Giant Slalom
- Date: February 15, 2026
- Location: Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy
- Finish Position: 11th
- Combined Time: 2:14.42
At the age of 30, Shiffrin remains the most decorated athlete on the World Cup circuit. However, she has not won an Olympic medal in her last eight events, dating back to the 2018 Winter Games in PyeongChang.
Medal Winners
- Gold: Federica Brignone (Italy) – second gold medal of these Games, fifth overall
- Silver: Shared between Sara Hector (Sweden) and Thea Stjernesund (Norway) – both had identical times
Brignone’s victory was celebrated by the passionate home crowd, while Hector and Stjernesund showed camaraderie by bowing to the Italian champion. Shiffrin praised the competition, stating “that was, like, the greatest show of GS skiing that we’ve had in a really long time,” highlighting the significance of the event at the Olympics.
Looking Ahead
Shiffrin’s next opportunity for redemption will come in her strongest event, the slalom, scheduled for Wednesday. With anticipation surrounding her performance, fans hope she can finally break her Olympic drought.
The coverage of this event was supported by the Associated Press.
