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“This was a spectacular day,” Mikaela Shiffrin said on Saturday, after Team USA bagged silver at the World Cup season opener in Sölden, Austria. But while the Americans had three athletes in the top six at the giant slalom race, Shiffrin, often considered the greatest alpine skier of all time, narrowly missed the podium. And yet, while Shiffrin finished just 0.31 seconds behind bronze medal winner, Lara Gut-Behrami, she was visibly over the moon by her result. The official Audi FIS Ski World CUP social media handle shared Shiffrin’s ecstatic celebration after crossing the finishing line at the iconic Rettenbach racecourse. Captioned, “WHAT IT MEANS,” the IG post also shared a brief video snippet of Shiffrin letting out thunderous screams after her exploits at the European pitstop of the 2025-26 World Cup. The statements she made later further revealed why she felt like she did despite her fourth-place finish, something Shiffrin’s fans aren’t used to seeing. “This year with fourth, I’m over the moon. It’s a really, really good step, and I have improvements to make still,” Mikaela said via Megan Harrod, one of her media managers. Why so happy despite not bagging any medals? Well, Shiffrin had previously noted that the giant slalom was one of her primary focuses during the offseason preparations. “Every single part of today was a monumental step. We’ll analyze it and keep moving forward. But to feel like I’m skiing the course and I’m sort of doing what I want to be doing — you have no idea how good of a feeling that is,” she said about how the run at the Rettenbach boosted her confidence. ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad But you’d wonder, why have to wonder, why was Shiffrin so happy about a relatively poor finish? Well, last season, she had to watch her teammates from the sidelines for most of the season due to injuries. This time around, she’s justifiably determined to make amends. “I was prepared for anything and just tried to execute the skiing. It’s a boost of excitement knowing I can do good skiing starting bib 20. I can climb up the ranks,” she said after the race. ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad “My goal on the second run was to almost relax a little bit and let the track of the course kind of take me. That’s really, really hard to do, especially if you’re not 100% confident,” Mikaela Shiffrin said further, about how she was locked in on her plans despite having an oddly slow start in the World Cup season opener. “The final step is adding the race mentality,” she smiled. With the 2026 Winter Olympics not very far away, this will undoubtedly work as a major boost to the systems for Shiffrin and her teammates. After all, not every skiing team heading to Italy next year will have the right to boast about having a 100+ World Cup race-winning star in their ranks. So what’s the game plan here going forward? Read Top Stories First From EssentiallySports Click here and check box next to EssentiallySports Mikaela Shiffrin still has a lot on her plate The Winter Olympics will take place in February next year, just before the FIS World Cup finals. But while the Olympics will certainly be the event that most athletes from around the world will be focusing on, Shiffrin admits it’s different for the skiers. “I don’t think I know really many ski racers who would target the (Olympic) Games over World Cup performance. The idea most of us tend to have is the more consistently you perform through the World Cup season, the more you will have momentum, some level of confidence and competence to bring into the Games. It can be hard to sort of live in that narrative. And still prioritize the things that are most important to you as an athlete,” said the youngest slalom gold medalist in Olympic history. ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad Thankfully, she does have other things to keep her occupied. Shiffrin picked up her 101st World Cup race victory in Sun Valley last season, and noted how cheers from the fans, especially the kids in attendance, helped her to get over her anxiety and grab history by the scruff once again. She never forgot the support. During the offseason, she mentioned her rigorous training schedule and lifestyle make it difficult for her to stay connected with her fans. Maybe that’s why she recently took to Instagram to reveal that she would be launching her own podcast, What’s The Point With Mikaela Shiffrin, soon. Joyous news for her loyal followers, indeed! So, which of her next steps are you the most excited to see? Her return to Levi, Finland, for the second stop of the World Cup season, her Olympic preparation, or seeing the podcast-hosting Mikaela Shiffrin? Drop a comment below to let us know!
