U.S. skier Mikaela Shiffrin is looking to make amends in the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. Shiffrin failed to add to her medal tally in the Beijing Olympics four years ago. She entered the 2022 Winter Games with three medals — two gold and a silver — from her previous two Olympic appearances. However, she fell short and missed out on a podium finish in Beijing.
Shiffrin, now 30, is hoping to find success in the 2026 Winter Games. She did not have the best start, though, after finishing fourth in the team combined event with American teammate Breezy Johnson.
Johnson placed first in the downhill portion of the inaugural team combined competition. However, Shiffrin came up short in the slalom race. Combined, their time fell just 0.06 seconds short of Austria, which won bronze.
© Michael Madrid-Imagn Images
While Shiffrin is focused on winning her next event, the eight-time World Championships gold medalist also pays a lot of attention to how she handles herself during the Olympics.
Shiffrin shared her mindset for the Games as she borrowed a quote from the great Nelson Mandela. Shiffrin credited Hollywood actress and United Nations ambassador Charlize Theron, who quoted the former South African president and anti-apartheid revolutionary at the Winter Olympics opening ceremony.
Shiffrin read the quote, "'Peace is not just the absence of conflict. Peace is the creation of an environment where we can all flourish, regardless of race, color, creed, religion, gender, class, caste or any other social markers of difference.'”
Shiffrin expressed how much this message means to her in terms of how she wants to treat her fourth trip to the Winter Games.
"And for me, as this relates to the Olympics, I'm really hoping to show up, represent my own values,” she said. “Values of inclusivity, diversity, kindness, sharing, tenacity, work ethic — showing up with my team every single day like I said before — and the values that we bring and put out on the mountain and on the hill every single day.
"I'm hoping to represent those who have been supporting me this entire time. And, I'm really thankful to be here, and my greatest hope for this Olympic Games, from a broader perspective, is that it's a beautiful show of cooperation and of competition."
The Olympics shared Shiffrin’s powerful message on social media, along with its reaction.
“🗣️ @MikaelaShiffrin intends to ‘represent her own values’ at #MilanoCortina2026 after being inspired by UN Peace Ambassador Charlize Theron calling on a Nelson Mandela quote at the Opening Ceremony,” the Olympics posted on X.
Shiffrin will take center stage in two more events. She will compete in the giant slalom on Sunday, before taking part in the slalom event on Wednesday.
Shiffrin will leave everything on the mountain when she’s out there. But, perhaps even more importantly, the American skier will make sure that she competes while representing her own values.