Mikaela Shiffrin has reaffirmed her commitment to exploring new challenges in alpine skiing while keeping the door open to further slalom appearances during the 2026–27 season
Speaking at Atomic Media Day in Austria, the American skiing superstar explained why she is adjusting her competition schedule and placing greater emphasis on giant slalom and Super-G.
By Julia Schneemann
Mikaela Shiffrin took the stage at Atomic Media Day in Altenmarkt, Austria, on Thursday, October 8, for her first extended public remarks since announcing a new approach to the 2026–27 alpine skiing season. The three-time Olympic champion discussed her physical preparation, her plans for the upcoming winter and her decision to explore disciplines beyond her traditional slalom focus.
The event brought together athletes from Atomic’s World Cup team ahead of the season opener in Sölden, scheduled for October 24 and 25. Shiffrin’s appearance attracted particular attention following her announcement that she intends to reduce her slalom schedule while dedicating more time to giant slalom and Super-G.
Shiffrin Embraces a Season of Exploration
Shiffrin announced her revised plans on October 6, describing the upcoming campaign as a season of exploration. After years of extraordinary success in slalom, the 31-year-old wants to discover what she can achieve by expanding her focus to other disciplines.
The American has built much of her remarkable career around slalom, winning nine slalom Crystal Globes and establishing herself as one of the most successful athletes in alpine skiing history.
However, she believes that remaining exclusively focused on her strongest discipline would limit opportunities to develop as a racer. Her decision reflects a desire to challenge herself, experiment with different training approaches and maintain her enthusiasm for competition.
Speaking at Atomic Media Day, Shiffrin explained that the response to her announcement had been more positive than she initially expected. She also indicated that she and her team were in a good position as preparations continued for the new season.
Rather than treating the change as a permanent departure from slalom, Shiffrin is approaching it as an opportunity to learn more about her abilities across different disciplines.
Slalom Remains Close to Her Heart
Despite her plans to reduce the number of slalom races she enters, Shiffrin made it clear that she has no intention of abandoning the discipline completely.
“I’m not closing any doors,” she said, emphasising her continued affection for the event that has defined so much of her career.
She explained that slalom would always feel like home, suggesting that she expects to return to the discipline even as she explores other opportunities throughout the season.
For the upcoming campaign, Shiffrin confirmed that Killington, Vermont, would be her first planned slalom appearance. She has not committed to a complete schedule beyond that event, leaving the possibility of additional starts open as the season develops.
Her participation in the slalom at the World Championships in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, in February also remains undecided.
The flexible approach will allow Shiffrin to evaluate her progress, physical condition and competitive opportunities before making further decisions about her racing calendar.
Physical Preparation and Recovery Take Priority
Another important aspect of Shiffrin’s revised programme is her approach to physical preparation and recovery.
During the Atomic Media Day interview, she rated her physical preparation at eight out of ten. She explained that she rarely gives herself a perfect score, while reporting that she was not dealing with any significant pain or injuries.
She also joked about a toe injury sustained while playing dodgeball, adding a lighter moment to the discussion.
Beyond the joke, her comments highlighted the importance of arriving at the start of the season feeling physically prepared.
By reducing her slalom commitments, Shiffrin hopes to create more opportunities for recovery between competitions and organise her training differently.
She also intends to dedicate more concentrated training blocks to giant slalom and Super-G, giving herself additional time to develop in disciplines that require different technical and physical approaches.
The change could also help her maintain a healthier balance throughout the long World Cup season.
Shiffrin has acknowledged that pursuing new challenges involves uncertainty. Nevertheless, she believes that following her curiosity is important to her continued motivation.
A Different Approach to Career Success
Shiffrin’s decision represents a notable change for an athlete who has spent much of her career competing at the highest level in slalom.
She enters the new season as the record holder for the most World Cup race victories, with 110 wins, including 73 in slalom, according to Reuters.
She also won her second Olympic slalom gold medal at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Games and secured her sixth overall World Cup Crystal Globe last season.
Those achievements underline why her decision to reduce her participation in slalom has attracted so much attention.
However, Shiffrin has indicated that maximising her trophy collection is not the only consideration guiding her next steps.
She wants to continue improving, discover new possibilities and avoid becoming confined to the discipline in which she has enjoyed the greatest success.
Although concentrating on slalom alone might appear to offer a more predictable route to further victories, Shiffrin believes that exploring unfamiliar challenges is important to her long-term relationship with the sport.
Her revised schedule may reduce her opportunities to compete for the overall World Cup title, but she appears comfortable accepting that uncertainty while pursuing her wider ambitions.
Shiffrin Offers Encouraging Update on Aleksander Aamodt Kilde
During the interview, Shiffrin also shared an update on her fiancé, Norwegian alpine skier Aleksander Aamodt Kilde.
Kilde was unable to attend Atomic Media Day because he was training in South America as he continued preparing for the new season.
Shiffrin said he was doing well and feeling considerably more comfortable physically than he had a year earlier.
She acknowledged that his shoulder condition would continue to present limitations, but explained that he was learning to adapt and finding ways to become stronger.
The American also expressed admiration for his determination and said she was looking forward to watching him compete again.
She encouraged supporters to wish him good luck, highlighting her hope that he would have more opportunities to enjoy ski racing.
Her comments offered a personal glimpse into the challenges and progress surrounding Kilde’s continued return to competition.
The Road Ahead for Shiffrin
With the 2026–27 World Cup season approaching, attention will turn to how Shiffrin’s revised programme translates into results on the slopes
The campaign begins with giant slalom races in Sölden, Austria, on October 24 and 25. Shiffrin will then continue assessing her opportunities across the disciplines while preparing for her planned slalom return at Killington.
For now, she has left her options open rather than committing to a rigid schedule.
Her approach signals a willingness to embrace uncertainty while continuing to compete at the highest level.
Although slalom remains an essential part of her identity as a skier, Shiffrin is ready to explore what giant slalom and Super-G can offer during the next chapter of her career.
As she made clear at Atomic Media Day, this is not about saying goodbye to slalom. Instead, it is about giving herself the freedom to discover new possibilities while keeping the discipline she loves firmly within reach.
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