Mikaela Shiffrin didn’t look as confident as some of the others noted the commentator. She pulled out of the gate during the women’s combined team slalom on Tuesday hoping to win her first Olympic medal since 2018, but ended up relinquishing the +0.600s lead that Team USA had to register a loss. Something didn’t feel right about that causing fans to raise concerns.

On February 9, after her partner Breezy Johnson was flawless in the downhill and Team USA was in the bronze medal spot, the door was open for Mikaela Shiffrin to finish the job. But Shiffrin lost a lot of time in the first section, noted a commentator, having started out slower than usual.

By the time she reached the middle section, the +0.600 advantage USA had was gone.

She started to charge eventually, but it was too late. Shiffrin dropped from the 1st to the 4th place, finishing with a combined time of 2:21.97. Watching her fall short this way, didn’t sit right with many.

Shiffrin’s fans couldn’t hold back their emotions on X, “I’ve watched Shiffrin for years, she looked agitated and caught off-guard in the starting gate and couldn’t get into her run…having said that, it’s split seconds off the gold. She’ll be back next week.”

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Right after her run, the commentator remarked, “Shiffrin let the nerves get the better of her performance and drops out of the medals.”

But was it really the nerves?

Well, observers noted that Mikaela Shiffrin’s slalom run looked visibly tense. In fact Shiffrin herself confessed, she wasn’t happy with her comfort level in the first race.

“I didn’t quite find a comfort level that allows me to produce full speed,” she said later.

The combined time posted by Johnson and Mikaela Shiffrin did come close, just 0.06 seconds behind other Americans Paula Moltzan and Jacqueline Wiles who secured bronze. Such a tiny margin only would have deepened the heartbreak.

But turns out Shiffrin was ready for such curveballs. Before reaching the Olympics, she’s clarified her mindset, “Things won’t go according to plan – and that’s okay.” However, her fans are still concerned about how Shiffrin looked in her first Olympics event today.

Heartbreak as fans reel over Mikaela Shiffrin falling short again

One of the fans wrote, “Mikaela Shiffrin and the Olympics just not a match, are they? Gobsmacking that she’s missed the podium in the women’s team combined.” On the surface, it sounds harsh, but when you consider what Shiffrin has been through, the reaction makes sense.

 Last time at the 2022 Beijing Games, Shiffrin returned without a single medal despite competing in six events. She finished with a DNF in three of the events, and while she helped the U.S. reach the final in the mixed team parallel event, they ultimately finished fourth.

Unfortunately, history has an unfortunate way of circling back. After watching her perform today, another fan said, “Just gutted for Mikaela Shiffrin. Seen as the greatest skier of all time… but has been atrocious in comparison at the Olympics. And that continues today.”

While a third noted, “Ugh, Mikaela Shiffrin did not bring her A-game. Happy for Moltzan/Wiles to take the bronze. #TeamUSA #Olympics2026.” Their frustration was understandable given how high expectations are for her.

In the World Cup this season, Mikaela Shiffrin has been nearly unstoppable. She secured her ninth slalom season title, a record in the sport, and extended her career wins to over 108, more than any other alpine skier in history. She has consistently won major slalom races and came into the Olympics as a favorite in her strongest events.

That contrast explains the fan feelings. Another one chimed in with, “Shiffrin underperforming shows that even top athletes can crack under pressure, proving talent alone doesn’t guarantee gold.”

However, while her first event in the 2026 Olympics didn’t go as planned, Mikaela Shiffrin still has two individual races ahead: Women’s giant slalom on February 15. And the Women’s slalom on February 18. This means two more chances to go after that gold. Hopefully, she makes the best out of it.