Mikaela Shiffrin finally ended her frustrating Olympic medal drought in style on Wednesday. She stormed to gold in the women’s slalom at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, after the disappointment in Beijing, where the skier was left empty-handed. And the congratulations immediately poured in for the 30-year-old.

Her fiancé, Norwegian alpine skier Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, who is missing these Games due to injury, took to his Instagram story with a simple yet powerful message, stating, “She did it again.” Her fellow Team USA skiers also echoed a similar sentiment.

Breezy Johnson, who partnered with Shiffrin in the team combined event, wrote, “So proud of this lady!!! 2x slalom champ!!!!” And Lindsey Vonn, who is recovering from a devastating crash in women’s downhill, had a warm message for her compatriot, writing, “Huge congrats @mikaelashiffrin!!”

For Shiffrin, the start to her Milan Olympics campaign was quite slow. She placed 11th in the giant slalom and then came fourth with teammate Johnson in the team’s event, almost missing out on a medal. However, with a combined time of 1:39.10, she demolished the field, as she finished 1.50 seconds ahead of Switzerland’s Camille Rast, who took silver, followed by Sweden’s Anna Swenn, who claimed bronze.

As reported by Bill Mallon on X, NBC reporter Nick Zaccardi noted that Shiffrin’s winning margin was the largest in any Olympic alpine skiing event since 1998 and the biggest in the women’s slalom since Vreni Schneider of Switzerland won by 1.68 seconds back in 1988. This gold medal is Shiffrin’s third Olympic title, adding to her slalom gold from Sochi 2014 and her giant slalom gold from PyeongChang 2018, and it is her fourth Olympic medal overall.

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The 30-year-old also became the first American skier to win the slalom twice, and only the second woman overall to achieve the feat after Schneider. Her two golds, won 12 years apart, represent the largest gap ever between individual gold medals in the same event at the Winter Olympics. She further joined Julia Mancuso as the only American woman to win four Alpine skiing medals.

“Today I showed up for the skiing. I wanted to have two runs with really strong slalom skiing. Now to be through that is a little bit challenging to process. In the end, today, showing up – that was the thing I wanted most. More than the medal. Now, to also get to have a medal is unbelievable,” Shiffrin said following the event.

The American skier has been open about the mental and physical battles following a horrific crash in Killington in 2024 that left her with a deep abdominal injury. So, crossing the finish line with an Olympic gold, she crouched on her skis with her head in her hands before pumping her fists to the roaring crowd. The weight she carried for the past four years was lifted from her shoulders as she got back her Olympic crown.

While Shiffrin basked in glory, for Kilde, it was a precious moment, as she had been with him throughout his skiing journey and also supported him when he decided to make a major career decision before the Winter Games.

Mikaela Shiffrin comes under his support system

In early February, Norwegian alpine skier Aleksander Aamodt Kilde confirmed that he will sit out of the 2026 Milan Olympics, as he has been out of form due to missing out on competitions following his serious crash two years ago.

“I have done everything I possibly could to be ready for the Olympics but my mind and body are not performing the way I need them to. It is extremely hard to come to this decision after all the work I have put in together with my family, medical team, the national team and many others. At the same time, I am proud that I managed to fight my way back and compete at the World Cup again,” he told reporters.

Kilde suffered torn shoulder ligaments, nerve damage, and later a life-threatening shoulder infection that developed into sepsis, requiring multiple surgeries and forcing him to learn to walk again. But Mikaela Shiffrin has never left his side.

“I know that feeling. It’s being able to relate to each other and help each other through those tough moments. He does that for me on a daily basis. It’s pretty special,” she told People, explaining how the two bonded through shared trauma.

When Kilde made his emotional comeback to World Cup competition in November 2025 after 684 days away, Shiffrin was there at the finish line to greet him, a moment he described as “a dream come true.” Even in the moment he announced his withdrawal from the Games, she responded with a heartwarming message, stating, “I love you❤️💪”

Both experienced their fair share of troubles together, and now it’s time for them to celebrate Shiffrin’s gold medal in Milan!