Mikaela Shiffrin’s latest milestone was bittersweet.
After securing her third gold medal with a win in slalom on Feb. 18—ending an eight-year medal drought and cementing her as the most decorated skier in Olympic history—the athlete became emotional as she reflected on achieving the milestone six years after the unexpected death of her father Jeff Shiffrin.
“This was a moment I have dreamed about,” Mikaela told reporters through tears during a post-race press conference on Feb. 18. “I’ve also been very scared of this moment.”
“Everything in life that you do after you lose someone you love is like a new experience,” she added. “It’s like being born again, and I still have so many moments where I resist this. I don’t want to be in life without my dad.”
But despite the dread of experiencing such a special moment without her father, who died in 2020 following an accident at the family’s home, the medal also brought her closer to a sense of peace.
