Mikaela Shiffrin reclaimed her place atop the Olympic podium on Wednesday, winning gold in the women’s slalom at the Winter Olympics.
Before her run, Shiffrin’s coach encouraged her to “rip this thing,” and she delivered. She posted a combined time of 1:39.10, clocking 47.13 seconds on her first run and 51.97 on her second to secure the gold medal and add to Team USA’s medal count.
Shiffrin remained composed under pressure after a disappointing showing at the 2022 Beijing Games. She had to wait through tense moments as the two skiers ahead of her failed to complete the course, allowing her time to stand as the leader.
Throughout her run, Shiffrin gained time on her competitors in key sections of the course. After crossing the finish line, she bent down in disbelief, soaking in the magnitude of the moment.
The victory marked a major turnaround from the 2022 Olympics, where Shiffrin failed to medal in any alpine skiing event despite entering as a favorite. With this win, she now owns three Olympic gold medals.
Shiffrin also became just the second skier in Olympic history to win gold twice in the women’s slalom event.