Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) - The American Mikaela Shiffrin, considered the best skier in history, broke an eight-year drought without Olympic medals this Wednesday by winning the slalom at the Milan-Cortina Games, to give even more glory to a career piloted by her mother Eileen, a prestigious coach.

First modification: 02/18/2026 - 15:27 Last modification: 02/18/2026 - 20:28

Before her 108 victories in World Cup events, where she has been five times (soon six) overall season champion, and eight world titles, Mikaela had her first contact with skis when she was two and a half years old and living with her family in Edwards, Colorado.

Born on March 13, 1995, Mikaela Shiffrin grew up in the mountains, near the prestigious winter resort of Vail, as the daughter of a nurse and a doctor from the northeastern United States.

The mother of the family, Eileen Shiffrin, learned to ski in Massachusetts, in an area not conducive to skiing, far from a ski lift.

She eventually made up for lost time in the "masters" category, where she became a fierce competitor and passionate about technique.

Even before she was old enough to join the local club, Mikaela spent a lot of time on the slopes with a small group of children led by her mother. But then skiing was more of a game than a profession.

prodigy girl

Alex Leever, who has known the Shiffrins "forever", is part of this group, along with Taylor, Mikaela's older brother.

"From a young age, Mikaela wanted to be a great skier," this former slalom competitor, who participated in fifteen World Cup events, explains to AFP.

In older videos from this era, Eileen can be heard yelling at him to pay attention to his technique.

When Mikaela was six years old, she joined the Vail club (SSCV) and soon surprised one of the coaches, Simon Marsh, who considered that the girl had the technique "of a 20-year-old skier."

Her mother was also starting her career as a professional coach at that time, equally successful, directing her daughter Mikaela's group.

"Eileen is a natural coach, she has a tremendous eye for movement and detects what separates you from a high level. She could make anyone progress in any sport, she has a gift," praises Alex Leever.

According to her precepts, Mikaela develops her talents by riding a bicycle, playing soccer, and at the skate park. At the age of 10, Eileen makes him read the best-selling book "The Inner Game of Tennis" about the mental aspect of the sport.

"One of my strengths is that I like to analyze the movement, find the most effective gesture and transmit it. I am not always right, but almost," declared this mother-coach.

Drama in February 2020

Mikaela started in the World Cup in March 2011, two days before her 16th birthday.

He won his first victory on the elite circuit at the age of 17 and then his first Olympic title, in the 2014 Sochi slalom, at only 18 years old.

Although other coaches have joined her team, Eileen has continued to accompany her daughter and is one of the few female coaches on the alpine skiing circuit.

Mikaela becomes a winning machine, even in relegation, and won the general classification three consecutive times, from 2017 to 2019.

In 2018 he won two Olympic medals, one of them gold, on the giant.

His crazy winning streak came to an abrupt halt in February 2020, with the death of his father Jeff in a domestic accident.

Mikaela was very affected and needed psychological therapy to recover her smile, which was also helped by her relationship with the Norwegian skier Aleksander Aamodt Kilde.

One of the hardest moments of Mikaela's career was the Beijing 2022 Games, where she left empty-handed.

In Milan-Cortina, after a fourth place in the team combined and an unusual eleventh place in the giant, she was on her way to repeating the disappointment, but this Wednesday's gold avoids that circumstance and rewards the efforts of a legendary skier.

© 2026 AFP

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