Mikaela Shiffrin 'unsure' about Milano Cortina being her last Olympics: 'I'll give a 50-50'

On the eve of her 16th World Cup season, Mikaela Shiffrin, the most decorated alpine skier in history with 101 World Cup wins and 18 global medals, including two Olympic golds, spoke to media at an event hosted by her sponsor, Atomic, in Bergheim, Austria.

The three-time Olympian said she had not yet decided whether the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 will be her last.

“I’m not really a numbers girl. I’m so uncertain,” Shiffrin admitted. “To be honest, I don’t know. You can say 50-50.” That answer leaves the door open for a possible run at the French Alps 2030 Winter Games … or not.

When asked if she feels pressure to extend her career into her 40s like her compatriot and three-time Olympic medallist Lindsey Vonn, who recently returned to racing, 30-year-old Shiffrin said, “I don’t see myself competing until I’m 40, but I’m certainly inspired to see the success of athletes who can compete and hold that level for such a long time—and take a step away from the sport and come back.”

She added, “It’s impressive, and it shows there are so many ways to do this. Sport is such a beautiful part of life. We get to do this, and that’s something to be grateful for.”

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Shiffrin also addressed her race schedule for the upcoming season as to whether she would add disciplines beyond slalom and giant slalom.

While the US star ruled out competing in downhill, she left the door open for super-G, saying she loves the discipline and plans to “give it a go early in the season.” Her team will then decide “if it’s worth keeping it in the program before the Olympics, or if we push that until after.”

The Colorado native shared that her summer training included super-G training and that she needs more training under her belt before racing.

“I’m really, really happy with the improvements my team and I made,” she said.

“We’re going into this season with a strong atmosphere, where I feel a lot of trust in the people around me. I’m so grateful for that. I’m not ready, but I’m excited. And that’s a good place to be.”

Shiffrin also reflected on the need to manage her recovery carefully after her injury sustained this past November and the prior season: “The last two seasons, I was injured and off snow for at least eight weeks,” she said. “So, it’s maybe not the smartest to just add a lot of races.”

Shiffrin will kick off her World Cup season on Saturday, 25 October, at the traditional opening giant slalom in Sölden, Austria.

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