Mikaela Shiffrin has entered the 2026–27 FIS Alpine Ski World Cup season with a renewed approach to competition, placing greater emphasis on giant slalom and super-G as she looks to explore new challenges in her skiing career.
The American skiing superstar began her campaign at the season-opening giant slalom in Sölden, Austria, on October 24, 2026. However, despite making an impressive start, she finished seventh after leading the first run, as teammate Paula Moltzan secured her maiden World Cup victory.
Shiffrin’s latest campaign comes after years of success in alpine skiing, alongside the physical and psychological challenges she has faced while returning to giant slalom following previous injuries. Her plans for the new season reflect a desire to develop her abilities across different disciplines rather than concentrating primarily on slalom.
Shiffrin Embraces a New Approach to the Season
Shiffrin has described the 2026–27 campaign as a “season of exploration”, explaining that she wants to give herself more opportunities to discover what she can achieve in different areas of the sport.
After years of focusing heavily on slalom and giant slalom, the three-time Olympic champion intends to reduce her slalom appearances and dedicate more time to giant slalom and super-G.
The decision represents a change in her traditional racing schedule, but Shiffrin has made it clear that she is not abandoning slalom.
Instead, she hopes that a more flexible programme will allow her to explore new challenges, improve her performance and maintain her enthusiasm for competition.
She also plans to skip the opening slalom events in Levi, Finland, and Gurgl, Austria, before targeting the Killington World Cup in Vermont for her first slalom appearance of the season.
Previous Injuries Remain Part of Her Journey
Shiffrin’s renewed focus on giant slalom comes after a difficult period following her crash at the Killington World Cup in November 2024.
The incident left her with a serious puncture wound to her abdomen and a lengthy recovery process. Returning to giant slalom proved particularly challenging, with the American later discussing the psychological difficulties she experienced while rebuilding her confidence.
Her recovery continued throughout the following season, as she gradually worked to regain her competitive level in the discipline.
During the 2025–26 campaign, Shiffrin made significant progress, finishing fourth in the overall giant slalom standings and recording several strong results.
Those performances helped demonstrate that she could remain competitive in the discipline despite the difficulties she had encountered.
However, there is no verified information in the sources reviewed confirming a new injury suffered by Shiffrin at the Sölden season opener. Her seventh-place finish followed a second run that was not as strong as her opening performance.
A Strong Start Despite Missing Out on the Podium
The women’s giant slalom in Sölden provided an early test for Shiffrin as she began her new campaign.
She led after the opening run on the Rettenbach Glacier, putting herself in a strong position to challenge for victory.
However, she was unable to maintain that advantage in the second run and eventually finished seventh.
Moltzan took the victory, earning the first World Cup win of her career at the age of 32. Albania’s Lara Colturi finished second, while Germany’s Emma Aicher secured third place.
Although Shiffrin missed the podium, the opening run offered an encouraging sign of her giant slalom ability as she continues working towards her goals in the discipline.
Her performance also highlighted the competitive nature of the women’s field, where several athletes are expected to challenge for major honours throughout the season.
What Lies Ahead for Shiffrin?
Shiffrin enters the new campaign with an extraordinary record, including 110 World Cup victories and 73 wins in slalom, making her the most successful racer in World Cup history.
She also claimed her sixth overall World Cup title during the 2025–26 season, equalling the women’s record held by Austrian skiing legend Annemarie Moser-Pröll.
Her ambitions for 2026–27 extend beyond adding more victories to that record.
By placing greater emphasis on giant slalom and super-G, Shiffrin hopes to discover new possibilities while continuing to compete at the highest level.
The season will also include the 2027 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, scheduled for February.
For now, her performance in Sölden marks the beginning of another important chapter in her career. Although she missed out on the podium, Shiffrin has a long season ahead to test her new approach and pursue further success across the disciplines.
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