Mikaela Shiffrin takes center stage at the World Cup opening in Sölden. © ANSA / ANDREA SOLERO

Back to her old strength? Shiffrin still hits the brakes

After a turbulent season, including a serious injury, Mikaela Shiffrin is starting from scratch at the upcoming World Cup opener in Sölden. However, the superstar is keeping a low profile ahead of the Olympic winter.

09 October 2025

From: apa/sn

When Atomic invites its ski stars to a media day, the World Cup season is just around the corner. On Thursday, it was that time again, with a prominent delegation including Mikaela Shiffrin, Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, and Sofia Goggia discussing their form ahead of Sölden and the season highlight, the 2026 Olympics in Italy. However, the athletes aren't wasting too much time thinking about medals at the moment. The cold start in Tyrol's Ötztal Valley is their focus.

"I'm not ready, I'm excited," Shiffrin said with traditional understatement before the start. However, after summer camps without any setbacks, the US star feels right on track. "I've been focusing heavily on giant slalom, where I feel much stronger now than at the end of the season. It's a work in progress, but I'm very happy with the progress. I feel a great deal of trust in the people around me," Shiffrin said during her brief appearance in Bergheim near Salzburg.

Shiffrin: The big crystal globe is here

At the end of the season, the 30-year-old aims to claim her sixth overall World Cup victory after a two-year break, which would put her level with record winner Annemarie Moser-Pröll. However, to achieve this, she'll need to score significant points in the technical races, as Shiffrin announced she will also forgo the downhill in the Olympic year. She's keeping her options open regarding Super-G appearances. "I still need a bit more training."

Aleksander Aamodt Kilde is looking forward to his return to snow. © APA / BARBARA GINDL

Shiffrin's fiancé, Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, is on the verge of a comeback, 21 months after his devastating crash in Wengen with a calf and shoulder injury. "I was tired of being away from this sport and my teammates. I'm so motivated and passionate to come back strong." At the Chile training camp, he was making fast turns again ("really cool"), even though he still lacks 20 percent of his shoulder mobility. He'll have to lower his standards initially, though. "Otherwise, it will be difficult to clear them."

Goggia and Co. are looking forward to the Olympics

Most are excited about the Olympic atmosphere at the well-known World Cup venues of Cortina d'Ampezzo (women) and Bormio (men), as the most recent two Olympic events, Beijing (2022) and Pyeongchang (2018), took place in Asia. And the Games in Sochi, Russia (2014), were also significantly different from regular World Cup highlights.

Sofia Goggia aims high this Olympic winter. © APA / EXPA/JOHANN GRODER

The major event will be especially special for speed ace Sofia Goggia, who aims to crown her career with an Olympic medal at home. After an unusually pain-free preparation, the Italian said she has been going over her beloved Olympia delle Tofane downhill course in her head several times a day for months. She claims to already know the recipe for success for the big coup in a seemingly playful way. "We're at the Olympic Games, so let's play," she recently quoted her famous compatriot Alberto Tomba. Goggia firmly believes this: "This sentence, which may seem banal, is the key."