Mikaela Shiffrin and Breezy Johnson narrowly missed a medal in the Alpine skiing women’s team combined event at the Milan Cortina Games, but the U.S. team of Jacqueline Wiles and Paula Moltzan secured bronze.
The Milan Cortina Games delivered a mixed day for U.S. Alpine skiing, as Mikaela Shiffrin and Breezy Johnson narrowly missed a medal in the women’s team combined event, finishing fourth by just 0.06 seconds. However, the U.S. still claimed bronze thanks to a strong performance from Jacqueline Wiles and Paula Moltzan.
Shiffrin, one of the most decorated Alpine skiers in history, struggled uncharacteristically in the slalom portion of the event, placing 15th out of 18 racers who finished. This erased the advantage built by Johnson, who had recorded the fastest time in the downhill portion. The duo’s combined time left them just shy of the podium.
Shiffrin’s Rare Slip in Slalom
Shiffrin, 30, is known for her dominance in slalom, with 71 of her record 108 World Cup victories coming in the discipline. She has also won four slalom titles at the Alpine World Ski Championships and three overall slalom World Cup titles in the last four years. However, her performance in Cortina d’Ampezzo fell short of her usual excellence.
Shiffrin acknowledged the difficulty of the course, stating, “I’m gonna call it ‘sweetbitter,’ rather than bittersweet, because we got to watch our teammates get a medal, which is incredible. I am really happy to kick off my Olympics. It was such an honor to pair with Breezy and to watch her run of downhill this morning.”
She added that she would learn from the experience, saying, “I’m not happy with my comfort level in my first race. I’ll figure out how to attack this hill better for the upcoming slalom race.”
Wiles and Moltzan Score Bronze
The bronze medal was secured by the American duo of Jacqueline Wiles and Paula Moltzan, who delivered strong performances in both the downhill and slalom portions of the event. Wiles, who had finished fourth in the downhill event earlier in the Games, paired with Moltzan, who also placed fourth in the slalom.
Moltzan’s run was particularly impressive, given the challenging conditions. She noted, “Ski racing is a matter of hundredths of a second, like a lot of winter sports seem to be. We are so grateful to be on the right side of it today. We’ve had many experiences on the wrong side of it, and to be here and end up with a bronze medal at the Olympics is kind of surreal.”
Wiles echoed her teammate’s sentiments, saying, “I think it’s going to take a while to really set in. It was a hard day, but I had a lot of amazing people around me, supporting me, and I felt the privilege to get another chance with Paula. I couldn’t be more honored to be her friend and teammate after all the years we’ve known each other skiing.”
Statistics and Historical Context
- Mikaela Shiffrin’s Career Highlights:
- 108 World Cup victories, including 71 in slalom.
- Three overall slalom World Cup titles in the last four years.
- Four slalom titles at the Alpine World Ski Championships.
- Breezy Johnson’s Recent Success:
- Gold medal in the individual downhill event at the Milan Cortina Games.
- Fastest time in the downhill portion of the combined event.
- Team USA’s Bronze MedalISTS:
- Jacqueline Wiles: Fourth place in downhill.
- Paula Moltzan: Fourth place in slalom.
Despite the disappointment of Shiffrin and Johnson missing the podium, the U.S. team’s bronze medal in the combined event showcased the depth of American talent in Alpine skiing. The triumph was a testament to the resilience and determination of Wiles and Moltzan, who capitalized on their individual strengths to secure a medal for the United States.
The event concluded with gold going to Austria’s team of Ariane Raedler and Katharina Huber, and silver to Germany’s Kira Weidle-Winklemann and Emma Aicher.
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