Michael Madrid-Imagn Images

Mikaela Shiffrin’s Fiancé Shares Heartfelt Message After Historic News

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Zahid Rashid | Last updated Feb 19, 2026 7:00 AM ET

Mikaela Shiffrin finally delivered under pressure at the 2026 Winter Olympics on Wednesday, and she did so in style. The American skier had gone medal-less in her previous eight Olympic races, but she ended the drought with a dominant performance in the slalom finals to win her third gold medal.

Shiffrin had failed to secure a podium finish in her first two races at the Milan Cortina Games, finishing fourth in the women’s team combined event and eighth in the giant slalom finals. However, she looked her best from the very first run on Wednesday, taking a commanding 0.82-second lead.

The 30-year-old extended that advantage to 1.50 seconds after the second run, winning gold by the largest margin in the event since 1998. The victory also made her the oldest American woman to win an Olympic gold medal in slalom. Interestingly, in the 2014 Sochi Games, Shiffrin had also become the youngest U.S. woman to win the slalom gold at 18 years old.

The win made her the first American woman to win three gold medals in alpine skiing, with her previous victories coming at the 2014 Sochi Games (slalom) and the 2018 PyeongChang Games (giant slalom).

Mikaela Shiffrin celebrates her gold medal win at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games.Michael Madrid-Imagn Images

Shiffrin’s fiancé, Norwegian skier Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, was thrilled with her historic victory and expressed his pride in a heartfelt Instagram post.

"Mikaela, what you did today shows that your mental strength is out of this world," Kilde wrote. "Four years ago, you left the Olympics with more questions than answers. Today, you answered every single one. You shut all our mouths and showed the world who the queen is.

"I’ve seen all the work you’ve put in both physically and mentally over the last years - you are my biggest inspiration and I’m a proud fiancé to say it at least. I love you ❤️."

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Shiffrin, who got engaged to Kilde in 2024, is now the most decorated American alpine skier in Olympic history. She is tied with Julia Mancuso in total Olympic medals (four), but Shiffrin has three golds compared to Mancuso’s one. The 30-year-old also became the first alpine skier to win Olympic gold in the same event 12 years apart, having first won slalom gold in Sochi in 2014.

Meanwhile, Kilde, who suffered a devastating crash in January 2024 that required several surgeries, had been set to compete in Italy but withdrew at the last moment, claiming that his mind and body were not performing at the level he expected. He is a two-time Olympic medalist, having won silver in the combined and bronze in the super-G at the 2022 Beijing Games.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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