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To win gold, Mikaela Shiffrin needed to hear these words
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To win gold, Mikaela Shiffrin needed to hear these words

#Mikaela Shiffrin #Olympic gold #Giant slalom #Mental preparation #Self-discipline #World Cup #Mantras #NBC News

📌 Key Takeaways

  • Mikaela Shiffrin broke her eight-year Olympic medal drought with gold in giant slalom
  • The 30-year-old American has become the winningest skier in World Cup history
  • Shiffrin maintained strict discipline, avoiding alcohol for two years during training
  • She relies on specific mantras and external support to overcome mental pressure

📖 Full Retelling

Mikaela Shiffrin entered an NBC studio in Milan on Friday afternoon, February 20, 2026, with a newly won gold medal around her neck, finally breaking her eight-year Olympic medal drought after claiming victory in the giant slalom event. The 30-year-old American skier, who had become the winningest skier in World Cup history since her 2014 Olympic debut as the youngest slalom gold medalist, spoke candidly about the mental burden that had accompanied her unprecedented success. Shiffrin detailed how she relied on self-talk and phrases instilled by her mother to overcome the pressure that had defined her recent competitions, celebrating her triumph with an espresso martini—her first alcoholic drink in two years. Born and raised in Edwards, Colorado, near Vail, Shiffrin explained the extraordinary discipline required to maintain her elite performance, including maintaining consistent daily routines and training regimens even during family celebrations or international travel. She revealed that her mental approach involved specific technical cues like 'ankles and knees, punch and push' for slalom and emphasized how she needed additional external support during these Olympics, with her team reminding her to 'unleash' and 'break the chains' when fear threatened to overcome her focus.

🏷️ Themes

Mental resilience, Olympic achievement, Athletic discipline, Family support

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World cup

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Giant slalom

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Alpine skiing and alpine snowboarding discipline

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Mikaela Shiffrin

Mikaela Shiffrin

American alpine skier (born 1995)

Mikaela Pauline Shiffrin (born March 13, 1995) is an American World Cup alpine skier and is widely considered the greatest female alpine skier of all time. She has the most World Cup wins of any alpine skier in history (men or women) and is the only one to have reached the milestone of 100 victories...

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Original Source
To win gold, Mikaela Shiffrin needed to hear these words In a Q&A, the American star told NBC News how she relied on self-talk, and phrases instilled by her mother, to break her eight-year medal drought. Add NBC News to Google Mikaela Shiffrin on winning gold in slalom event 04:16 Get more news on Share Add NBC News to Google Feb. 20, 2026, 4:03 PM EST By Andrew Greif Listen to this article with a free account 00:00 00:00 MILAN — A gold medal dangled around her neck and an invisible burden had been lifted from her shoulders as Mikaela Shiffrin entered an NBC studio Friday afternoon. Follow along for live coverage Two days earlier, Shiffrin, 30, won her first Olympic gold medal since 2018 in giant slalom. Most athletes go a lifetime without winning so much as one Olympic medal. But since Shiffrin became the youngest skier to ever win an Olympic gold medal in slalom in 2014, expectations have been different for her. Since then, she has become the winningest skier in World Cup history. Yet her eight-year drought since she last won an Olympic medal had become as central to her résumé as her wins. Shiffrin, who grew up in the sport in Edwards, Colorado, just outside of Vail, celebrated her slalom gold this week in part with an espresso martini, a celebratory drink she said was her first in two years. Shiffrin spoke with NBC News about craving daily structure, what she tells herself — and what she needs her friends and family to tell her — to be her best on the course, and the mountain that means the most to her. This Q&A has been edited and condensed for clarity. NBC News: You said you hadn’t really drank for two years before that espresso martini, it made me think about the discipline you’ve had. I’m wondering if there are other things that you, to give yourself an edge, have cut out of your life the last couple years to prep for these games. Shiffrin: I don’t know that there’s anything else that I’ve really cut out of my life in the way that I’ve really stayed away fro...
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