Mikaela Shiffrin is embracing a new approach to her career as the American alpine skiing superstar enters her 16th season on the World Cup circuit, shifting her focus beyond slalom while bringing a more relaxed and spontaneous style to the second season of her podcast.
The three-time Olympic champion has described the 2026–27 campaign as an “exploration season”, reflecting her desire to challenge herself in different disciplines, improve her training routine and rediscover new opportunities within the sport.
Rather than concentrating primarily on slalom, where she has established herself as one of the greatest skiers in history, Shiffrin intends to devote more attention to giant slalom and super-G. She will continue competing in slalom, but with a lighter schedule that allows her more time to recover and prepare for races.
The change follows an outstanding previous season in which she won nine of 10 World Cup slalom events and secured Olympic gold in the discipline at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Games.
Despite those achievements, Shiffrin believes that continuing to explore unfamiliar challenges is important for maintaining her motivation and extending her career.
“I was coming off a successful slalom season, and if you only look at results, staying focused on slalom made the most sense,” Shiffrin explained in comments reported by The Associated Press.
However, after 16 years competing at the highest level, she feels increasingly drawn towards other disciplines.
For Shiffrin, the decision is not about reducing her commitment to skiing. Instead, she wants to train more intentionally, manage her physical condition and ensure that she approaches competitions adequately prepared.
She has acknowledged that choosing a different direction can be intimidating when the safer option is to continue doing what has already brought considerable success.
Nevertheless, the American believes following her curiosity could help her remain competitive while making her career more sustainable.
Shiffrin Ready to Explore New Challenges on the Slopes
Shiffrin’s decision represents a significant adjustment for an athlete whose career has been closely associated with slalom dominance.
She has won multiple World Cup titles in the discipline and established herself as one of alpine skiing’s most successful competitors.
However, her ambitions extend beyond maintaining her existing records.
During the upcoming season, giant slalom and super-G will receive greater attention in her training programme. The two disciplines present different technical and physical challenges, offering opportunities to develop additional strengths.
Shiffrin is scheduled to begin her World Cup campaign with giant slalom racing in Sölden, Austria, on October 24, 2026.
She has also indicated that Killington, Vermont, will be the planned starting point for her slalom campaign over Thanksgiving weekend.
Her revised schedule will provide additional opportunities for recovery between competitions and more focused preparation for the disciplines she wants to explore.
Importantly, Shiffrin has made clear that slalom remains part of her future.
Her intention is to compete when she feels ready rather than maintain an intensive schedule simply because her previous results have made her the favourite in the discipline.
The approach could also help her preserve her enthusiasm for skiing as she considers the longer-term direction of her career.
A More Natural Approach to Podcasting
Shiffrin’s willingness to move away from familiar routines is also influencing her work away from competitive skiing.
Her podcast, What’s the Point with Mikaela Shiffrin, has entered its second season, with the American aiming to make conversations more natural and less dependent on a rigid interview script.
Launched in October 2025 in partnership with financial services group Stifel, the programme explores the motivations, experiences and personal qualities that contribute to success.
The new season began with a 12-episode programme featuring conversations with prominent figures from sport and media.
Among the guests scheduled to appear are figure skater Ilia Malinin, rugby player Ilona Maher, tennis star Iga Swiatek and sportscaster Mike Tirico.
Media personality and fellow podcaster Kylie Kelce featured in the season’s opening episode.
Shiffrin’s goal is to understand what motivates accomplished individuals, how they handle challenges and what drives them to continue improving.
She also hopes to create conversations that go beyond predictable questions and familiar answers.
Reflecting on her first season, Shiffrin explained that she sometimes concentrated too heavily on preparing her next question instead of fully absorbing what a guest was saying.
That experience has influenced her approach to the second season.
She now intends to prepare a general direction for each conversation rather than follow a detailed script from beginning to end.
Shiffrin believes listening carefully is a skill that requires practice, much like the technical abilities needed to succeed on the slopes.
By allowing discussions to develop naturally, she hopes to create a more engaging experience for both guests and listeners.
Curiosity Remains Central to Her Career
Although professional skiing and podcasting might appear to be very different activities, Shiffrin sees similarities between the two.
She has compared the rhythm of a successful ski run to the natural progression of a good conversation.
When everything works as intended, the individual movements or questions connect smoothly without feeling forced.
That sense of rhythm is something she wants to achieve in both areas of her life.
Her approach also reflects a broader willingness to accept uncertainty.
Rather than deciding exactly what every stage of her career must look like, Shiffrin wants to leave room for new experiences and opportunities.
The same philosophy could influence her plans as she looks towards the 2030 Winter Olympics in the French Alps.
For now, however, her attention remains on the immediate challenges of the 2026–27 season and the development of her podcast.
Whether she is training for giant slalom, preparing for a super-G race or interviewing another accomplished athlete, Shiffrin wants curiosity to remain an important part of the process.
Her message is that ambition does not necessarily require repeating the same routine indefinitely.
Sometimes, pursuing long-term success means stepping away from the most predictable path and exploring what else might be possible.
For Shiffrin, the coming season offers an opportunity to do precisely that, both on the mountain and behind the microphone.Sources: The article is based on reporting from the Associated Press, published on October 14, 2026, and related coverage of Shiffrin’s new racing strategy.
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