Mikaela Shiffrin achieved history for a second time by winning medal number 15 during her career which matched the historic achievement of German skier Christl Cranz in the 1930s. Shiffrin joined Breezy Johnson to win the gold medal in the team combined debut event at the Alpine World Ski Championships that took place in Saalbach, Austria.
This new competition pairs two athletes who split their responsibilities between downhill skier and slalom contestant. During the race, Johnson established a foundation through her strong downhill capabilities before Shiffrin conquered the slalom event to win the competition. The U.S. duo surpassed the silver medalists Lara Gut-Behrami and Wendy Holdener from Switzerland as they received gold while Stephanie Venier and Katharina Truppe from Austria won bronze.
This competition will deepen the competitive range of skiing before its inaugural appearance at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics 2026. The new format promotes teamwork between speed and technical skiers thus demonstrating the need for precise execution while maintaining quick speeds.
Her participation in the event had been after she, earlier in the week, had canceled the giant slalom to focus on recovery from an earlier injury. It was a decision that could be termed smart as, in the end; she gave a staggering performance to clinch her eighth World Championship gold medal, greatly enhancing her position as one of the greatest alpine skiers in history.
Bad weather and a heavy storm mustered strength against the two women after the race. Later, Shiffrin recounted her good friendship with Johnson as a means of experiencing their careers together while expressing appreciation. “Breezy was amazing today, I was so proud of all we did together,” she said. “This was a great platform to show our good sides, and I’m so proud to be part of this historic moment.”
For Johnson, the victory was particularly meaningful, as she has battled injuries in recent years. And to be able to have competed at this level and won alongside Mikaela is just unbelievable,” she said.
The latest of the triumphs further extends her legacy as one of the most decorated ever skiers. She has one foot in the niche of all-time greats at just 28 years old. Before her, the only skiers were those at the specter of the great Olympics. Thus, the 2026 Olympics would find her adaptable, contesting, and thriving in landing various disciplines with an expected proportionate increase in the years that follow.
