“Not Firing on All Cylinders — Yet”: Mikaela Shiffrin Lays Her Cards on the Table, Admitting She’s Still Finding Her Feet as She Picks Up the Pieces and Eyes a Full-Throttle Charge Toward Milano-Cortina 2026
“I’m Not There Yet” — Mikaela Shiffrin’s Honest Truth as the Road to Milano-Cortina Begins
Mikaela Shiffrin has never been one to hide behind medals or mythology. And as the alpine skiing season dawns, the most decorated World Cup skier in history is choosing honesty over hype.
Just one week before the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup season opener, Shiffrin admitted she isn’t quite where she wants to be.
“To be perfectly honest, right now I’m not at winning speed,” the 30-year-old Olympic champion revealed in an exclusive conversation with PEOPLE. It’s a rare and refreshing confession from an athlete who has redefined excellence on snow.
Shiffrin, who captured her historic 101st World Cup victory last April, is stepping back into competition following one of the most frightening moments of her career. Last November, she suffered a life-threatening crash at the Stifel Killington Cup in Vermont, sustaining a puncture wound to her abdomen that required surgery. Recovery, both physical and mental, became her full-time race.
While her return delivered results, Shiffrin says fine margins still remain.
“It’s like, ‘I need to be ready to race, but I’m not quite ready,’” she explained. Not nerves. Not fear. Just technical details — the tiny adjustments that separate contenders from champions.
Still, there’s quiet confidence beneath the caution.
“I’ve improved so much over the summer,” Shiffrin said, pointing to productive training camps and renewed mental preparedness. She’s skiing well, she insists — just not perfectly yet. And perfection, for Shiffrin, is the standard.
The two-time Olympic gold medalist has also spoken openly about PTSD symptoms following her crash, including intrusive thoughts. Rather than avoiding the discomfort, she’s leaned into repetition and exposure — rebuilding confidence run by run.
“I needed more repetition to get my mental processing speed back,” she said. “And we’ve been able to execute that.”
Shiffrin views nerves not as a weakness, but a signal.
“I’m certainly nervous — and that’s good,” she said. “It means we care.”
As the countdown to the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics in February 2026 continues, Shiffrin plans to spend the coming months sharpening her precision and race-day intensity. Her journey will be documented through Making Team USA, presented by Xfinity, as fans get an inside look at the grind behind greatness.
For now, the mission is simple.
“I feel ready enough to kick out of the start gate,” Shiffrin said.
And for Mikaela Shiffrin, that first push is always where the story truly begins.