Mental Victory: Shiffrin Pleased with Fourth Place as GS Confidence Return

🧠 MONT-TREMBLANT, QC — The narrative of the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup in Mont-Tremblant often focused on the podium, but for U.S. superstar Mikaela Shiffrin, her fourth-place finish on Sunday (Day 2 of the Giant Slalom doubleheader) represented a far greater victory: a triumph over trauma.

After placing sixth in Saturday’s race, Shiffrin improved one spot, finishing in a tie for fourth place with Swiss racer Camille Rast, just 1.17 seconds behind Austrian winner Julia Scheib. Crucially, the result marked her best finish in the discipline since before the debilitating crash that derailed her previous season.

The Perspective Shift: From Survival to Consistency

Shiffrin’s focus was less on the narrowly missed podium and more on the progress made in the Giant Slalom (GS), a discipline that became a source of significant physical and mental anguish.

“I think happy in ski racing—it’s a matter of perspective,” Shiffrin said, reflecting on the severe puncture wound and muscle damage she sustained in a GS crash at Killington, Vermont, just over a year ago (November 2024).

The crash and subsequent recovery forced a massive recalibration. Shiffrin revealed the depth of her struggle upon returning last season: “Last year I was returning from the injury and hoping I could make it in the second run. You know, I was three seconds behind the fastest girls with no hopes of figuring out how to get faster.”

Her dedication during the offseason has paid off in tangible results this campaign. “We’ve done a ton of work this summer to get to this place where I’m in the second run [and] I’m consistently top-10,” she confirmed.

Consistent Points for the Overall Title

The points accumulated in Tremblant are vital to Shiffrin’s ultimate goal: the Overall World Cup title. While she has been dominant in the slalom discipline—winning all three contested races in the 2025-2026 campaign—her GS results are now providing consistent, high-value support.

So far this season, Shiffrin’s technical event tally includes:

* Two Giant Slalom fourth-place finishes (Sölden opener and Tremblant Day 2).

* One GS sixth-place finish (Tremblant Day 1).

 * One GS 14th-place result (Copper Cup).

This consistency has been enough to keep her at the top of the Overall World Cup standings with a total of 458 points, ahead of her closest rivals. Despite the frustration of missing the podium in a discipline she once dominated, her ability to secure a top-five position while still rebuilding confidence in the Giant Slalom course proves her status as the benchmark in Alpine Ski Racing.

The winner of the day, Julia Scheib, finished with a combined time of 2:13.00, demonstrating peak form as she edged Sara Hector by 0.57 seconds. The Giant Slalom World Cup standings remain tight, but Shiffrin’s focus is clear: consistent, high-level execution to secure the ultimate Crystal Globe