Mikaela Shiffrin is targeting Olympic gold at the 2026 Milan–Cortina Winter Games after significantly reducing her competition schedule. The American star will race in just three events slalom, giant slalom and the team combined cutting her programme in half compared with Beijing 2022, where she entered all six alpine disciplines but failed to win a medal.
Shiffrin has spoken about wanting to move past the mental weight of her Beijing experience, and US head coach Paul Kristofic said the decision to narrow her focus was made well in advance. By concentrating on her strongest technical events, Kristofic believes Shiffrin has been able to prepare more effectively, avoiding the strain of juggling both speed and technical disciplines. Slalom and giant slalom remain her most successful races, accounting for the majority of her record 108 World Cup victories and both of her Olympic gold medals.
Her road back to peak form has not been straightforward. Kristofic acknowledged the physical and psychological challenge of returning after Shiffrin suffered an abdominal injury during a giant slalom in Killington in late 2024, stressing that patience and sticking to a long-term plan were key.
Shiffrin is set to begin her Olympic campaign in the team combined slalom on February 10. Meanwhile, teammate Lindsey Vonn is still pushing to compete despite a ruptured ACL, with final US pairings for the team combined yet to be confirmed.
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