Shiffrin plans fewer slaloms in exploration season shift to GS

Mikaela Shiffrin announced on Oct. 6 that she will race fewer slaloms in the 2026-27 World Cup season and put more training and racing into giant slalom and super-G. The 31-year-old will start with the Sölden giant slalom on Oct. 24, skip Levi and Gurgl, and aim to open her slalom campaign at Killington over Thanksgiving; the rest of her slalom schedule is undecided. World Championships in Crans-Montana in February fall in this season. She called it an "exploration season," saying she is not trying to do less because she cares less but something different because she still cares so much, and that the joy has never been about medals or records. She compared racing slalom underprepared to jumping into a giant blender and said she is changing the question from how much she can fit in to what happens if she gives herself space to explore what she is most curious about. Recent crashes and renewed belief after giant slalom results factored into the shift; she finished fourth in GS standings last season and outside the top 30 in super-G after winning Olympic slalom gold, a ninth slalom crystal globe, and the overall title by 87 points.