Mikaela Shiffrin was overcome by her emotions. © ANSA / DANIEL DAL ZENNARO

Shiffrin, fighting back tears: "He couldn't see it."

Mikaela Shiffrin hadn't had the best relationship with the Olympic Games lately. But that changed on Wednesday with her gold medal in the slalom. Afterwards, things got emotional.

February 18, 2026

From Cortina d'Ampezzo

It wasn't a jubilant celebration. No triumphant fist pumped to the sky. No ecstatic scream. No, when Mikaela Shiffrin crossed the finish line at the foot of the Olimpia delle Tofane on Wednesday, her Olympic slalom victory a reality, the greatest female skier of all time turned inward. She stared incredulously at the scoreboard, sank into a crouch, then completely onto her skis, drawing her knees to her chest like an embryo. Had it not been for the thunderous roar in the stands, one might have thought Shiffrin had just experienced the greatest defeat of her career.

But in reality, the 30-year-old American had to somehow keep her emotions in check during those seconds. Finally, there it was: the Olympic medal she had waited a staggering eight years for. The world's best female skier last won an Olympic medal in 2018.

Shiffrin celebrated her gold medal quietly. © APA/afp / TIZIANA FABI

Then came the drama of Beijing in February 2022 (no medals in six races) and the initially difficult undertaking in Cortina, where Shiffrin also initially failed to score any points. But in the slalom, the discipline in which she has achieved 71 of her 108 World Cup victories, the star skier was in a league of her own this time.

"My dad couldn't see this victory today." Mikaela Shiffrin

When Shiffrin received her long-awaited gold medal around her neck, she fought back tears. Just as she did later at the press conference. "I was thinking about the people who are here today. And I was thinking about the people who aren't here. My dad couldn't see this victory today," stammered the now three-time Olympic champion.

A tragic accident took Shiffrin's father's life.

Shiffrin's father, Jeff, unexpectedly died in a household accident in the spring of 2020, shattering Mikaela's world. Six years have passed, but the wounds remain deep for Shiffrin.

Mikaela Shiffrin won the gold medal. © ANSA / DANIEL DAL ZENNARO

“This victory was a moment I had dreamed of. But it was also a moment I was afraid of. It was my first Olympic victory without my father. When you lose someone important in your life, everything you do afterward is a new experience,” said an emotional Shiffrin.

Deep insights into the soul

The greatest female skier of all time offered a glimpse into her emotional world. "I don't have that spiritual feeling that many people talk about. Many say they feel the presence of their loved one – I don't. I think about my dad constantly, that's how I feel connected to him. But sometimes I'm envious of people who say, 'He's here with me, he's carrying me through this day.' Then I think to myself: Why can you feel that and I can't?"

Shiffrin had to pause repeatedly during these statements, her eyes welling up with tears. It wasn't just a victory on the slopes, it was also a victory of emotions. "I just want to thank everyone who has been with me on this journey. First and foremost, my team, my mom, my brother, and my sister-in-law, who is expecting a baby. And of course, my boyfriend Aleks (Aamodt Kilde), who can't be here today, but with whom I talk day and night. Thank you for everything."