"Don't want to be taking a spot that I don't earn"- Mikaela Shiffrin gets real about being able to compete at the Winter Olympics  

Mikaela Shiffrin spoke about competing at the possibility of competing at the Winter Olympics in February 2026, as the ski season is set to kick off in a month. The American athlete weighed in on her training as well as her plans for the season in her latest interview.

Shiffrin had gone through several challenges in the 2025 season, which included being injured after a horror crash, undergoing recovery, and successfully returning to the slopes towards the end of the season. After the conclusion of the season, Mikaela Shiffrin took some time off and returned to the slopes to train for the upcoming season, which also has the Winter Olympics in Cortina d'Ampezzo.

She spoke to Olympics.com about the US ski team and the possibility of competing in the quadrennial games. The American athlete shared that the US ski team has a strong contingent of athletes this season and expressed that she wanted to be a part of the team only if she deserved the spot among the best athletes of the country.

Moreover, Shiffrin expressed that she was fine to let go of the Olympic spot if some other skier performed better than her.

"So I love it, and even if I don't race it at the Olympics, it's not out of the cards for me as a whole. Maybe it's just one of those things that the timing doesn't line up. One thing about the Games that I'm always really aware of, and especially this year, because we have an incredible (U.S.) team of athletes, multiple medal contenders. I don't want to be taking a spot that I don't earn and deserve to be there. So I'm fully OK letting go of that -- when the time comes -- if that is how it rolls," she said.

She expressed her excitement to return to the slopes and compete in the 2025-26 skiing season.

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Mikaela Shiffrin opens up about training for the upcoming season

Mikaela Shiffrin at the Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup - Women's Giant Slalom - Source: Getty

Mikaela Shiffrin opened up about training for the upcoming season with a short message on Instagram. The American athlete shared that she was enjoying the preparation phase and improving multiple aspects of her performance.

Even though she was nervous during her return, Shiffrin shared that she was getting the groove of competing.

"I am so happy. After how I ended last season, it was a waiting game and in the end, racing was the next step in the preparation phase to get the race mentality, and I felt like my mind and my body were connected today - I was so nervous this whole week," she said.

The American athlete hopes to prepare both mentally and physically to compete against the best skiers in the world.

Edited by Adityan Pillai