Mikaela Shiffrin, widely regarded as the greatest skier in history, recently secured her long-awaited third Olympic gold medal after a tumultuous eight-year gap since her last one. In an emotional interview with NBC, she revealed the inner demons and challenges she faced over the past several years, particularly following a disappointing performance at the previous Olympics. Despite her dominant position in the sport, having won numerous World Cup races and crystal globes, she struggled with self-doubt and pressure leading up to this year's games.

Four years ago, Shiffrin experienced a significant setback during the Olympics, which led to a period of reflection and reassessment of her approach to the sport. After finishing fourth in a combined event at Cortina, the media speculated about an "Olympic curse" surrounding her. However, Shiffrin made a conscious decision to shift her focus away from dreaming of gold medals to simply enjoying the act of skiing, which proved to be a key turning point in her performance.

With this change in mindset, Shiffrin delivered a phenomenal performance in the slalom event, decisively outpacing her competitors to claim victory. Her win not only reestablishes her dominance in the sport but also serves as a poignant reminder of her resilience in the face of personal and professional challenges, including the impact of her father's death on her mental state as she navigated her career post-tragedy.