Mikaela Shiffrin's Slalom Error Costs U.S. Team Bronze
Shiffrin's 15th-place slalom run on Feb. 11, 2026 left the U.S. team fourth with a 2:21.97, missing bronze by 0.06 seconds, official results show.
USA TODAYMikaela Shiffrin's slalom struggle raises ghosts of Beijing Olympics
TIME MagazineHow Mikaela Shiffrin's Setback Gave a Heartbroken Teammate a Medal
The GuardianMikaela Shiffrin’s Winter Olympics drought continues after slalom slump in team event
Associated PressShiffrin out of the medals again at the Winter Olympics as Klæbo closes on record for golds
Overview
On Feb. 11, 2026 in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Mikaela Shiffrin's 15th-place slalom run left her and Breezy Johnson fourth with a combined time of 2:21.97, missing bronze by 0.06 seconds, official results show.
The finish extended Mikaela Shiffrin's streak to seven consecutive Olympic races without a medal, a drought that dates to the 2022 Beijing Games, records show.
Mikaela Shiffrin said in a post-race interview she 'didn't quite find a comfort level' and would 'learn it' ahead of upcoming tech races, and Breezy Johnson said she was proud, team officials said.
Austria's Ariane Raedler and Katharina Huber won gold in 2:21.66 while Germany's Kira Weidle-Winkelmann and Emma Aicher took silver in 2:21.71 and Jacqueline Wiles and Paula Moltzan claimed bronze in 2:21.91, official times show.
Shiffrin is entered in the individual giant slalom on Feb. 15 and the slalom on Feb. 18 at Milan-Cortina, giving her two remaining medal opportunities, U.S. Ski Team officials said.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame Shiffrin’s performance as an ongoing 'Olympic slump' by using loaded terms ('specter of Beijing', 'slump', 'magnified') and juxtaposing her record 108 wins with Beijing failures. Editorial choices emphasize historical failure over technical explanations, highlight selective stats and quoted admissions of discomfort, and structure the piece to reinforce a redemption narrative.
FAQ
Austria's Ariane Raedler and Katharina Huber won gold with 2:21.66, Germany's Kira Weidle-Winkelmann and Emma Aicher took silver with 2:21.71, and the U.S. team of Jacqueline Wiles and Paula Moltzan claimed bronze with 2:21.91. Mikaela Shiffrin and Breezy Johnson finished fourth with 2:21.97, missing bronze by 0.06 seconds.
Shiffrin recorded the 15th fastest slalom time of 45.38 seconds, her lowest slalom finish since March 2012.
This fourth-place finish extends Shiffrin's streak to seven consecutive Olympic races without a medal, dating back to the 2022 Beijing Games.
Shiffrin is entered in the individual giant slalom on February 15 and the slalom on February 18.
Shiffrin said she 'didn't quite find a comfort level' in her slalom run, plans to learn from it ahead of technical races, and is determined to 'keep moving forward' without excuses.
