Mikaela Shiffrin, known as the queen of alpine racing, achieved a commanding victory in the women's slalom at the Winter Olympics held in Milan-Cortina, finishing with a lead of 1.50 seconds over the second place. This win marked her seventh victory of the season in the World Cup for this event, underscoring her dominance in alpine skiing. During her press conference, Shiffrin candidly shared her struggles, stating that challenges often feel impossible and expressing that she had to tune out distractions and focus on the competition.

Previously, Shiffrin faced a challenging experience at the Beijing Olympics in 2022, where she lost her father tragically just prior to the games. Despite being favored to win multiple medals, she ended with no medals and had to retire from three of her five events. Critics surfaced during that time, but Shiffrin opted to avoid social media and instead sought support from her mother, partner, and team. Her journey to this victory was not just about athletic prowess but also an emotional acceptance of her father's passing and the impact it had on her performances.

Winning the gold medal in slalom for the first time since the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics, Shiffrin reflected on the loss of her father and suggested that perhaps she was finally coming to terms with that reality. The slalom victory was especially significant as it marked a return to success after a difficult period and signified her ability to confront her grief while reclaiming her position at the top of her sport, furthering her record of 108 World Cup wins, the most in alpine skiing history.