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Shiffrin Plans 2026-27 “Exploration Season” With Fewer Slaloms

By Drooid · Oct 6, 2026, 11:14 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Shiffrin Cuts Slalom

Mikaela Shiffrin will cut slalom starts and prioritize giant slalom and super-G in 2026-27.
She will open the season with a giant slalom in Sölden, Austria on Oct 24.
She will skip the early slalom races in Levi, Finland and Gurgl, Austria.
She called the plan an “exploration season” to protect career longevity and could revert to a slalom-heavy schedule.

Summary

Shiffrin Claims Globe

She secured her sixth overall World Cup crystal globe, finishing 87 points ahead of Emma Aicher.
She captured the slalom crystal globe by beating Camille Rast of Switzerland.
She placed fourth in giant slalom and fell outside the top 30 in super-G.
The 31-year-old Colorado native earned a second Olympic slalom gold at the Milan-Cortina Games.
She claimed her ninth slalom season title last year.

History

Historical Context

Petra Kronberger, who burst onto the World Cup in 1987/88 and became the first modern skier to win a race in each of the five alpine disciplines during the 1990-91 season, retired on 25 December 1992 to protect her health. In 2024-25, Mikaela Shiffrin announced an “exploration season” cutting early slalom events, echoing Kronberger’s health-first approach.

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Shiffrin Cuts Slalom

Mikaela Shiffrin will cut slalom starts and prioritize giant slalom and super-G in 2026-27.
She will open the season with a giant slalom in Sölden, Austria on Oct 24.
She will skip the early slalom races in Levi, Finland and Gurgl, Austria.
She called the plan an “exploration season” to protect career longevity and could revert to a slalom-heavy schedule.

1 / 3