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Shiffrin Dominates Slalom, Ends Olympic Medal Drought in Cortina d’Ampezzo
CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy – After a challenging Olympic journey, American ski superstar Mikaela Shiffrin returned to the top of the podium Wednesday, securing a dominant gold medal in the slalom event. Her victory, by a remarkable 1.50-second margin, marked the end of a long medal drought at the Winter Games and reaffirmed her status as one of alpine skiing’s all-time greats.
Shiffrin, known for her precision and power, delivered two flawless runs amidst the stunning backdrop of the Dolomites. The win marked the third-largest margin of victory in a women’s Olympic slalom, bringing her career full circle to the event where she first tasted Olympic gold as a teenager in Sochi in 2014.
The emotional 30-year-old was visibly moved in the finish area, embracing Switzerland’s Camille Rast, who took silver, and Sweden’s Anna Swenn Larsson, the bronze medalist. Fighting back tears, Shiffrin shared a long hug with her mother and coach, Eileen, describing the victory as “really hard to understand and process.”
She added, “Maybe, just today, I realized what happened in Sochi. It’s crazy.”
This triumph is particularly significant for Shiffrin, offering a release from the immense pressure that had built since her last Olympic medals in Pyeongchang in 2018. Her previous Olympic appearance in Beijing saw a disappointing 0-for-6 performance, followed by an 11th-place finish in the giant slalom and a fourth-place finish in the team combined earlier in Cortina d’Ampezzo.
With this latest gold, Shiffrin now boasts three Olympic golds and one silver, further adding to her record-breaking 108 World Cup wins, including an astounding 71 in slalom. Today’s performance firmly puts past struggles behind her, solidifying her legacy in the sport.