Featured Image: Mikaela Shiffrin winning her slalom gold medal in Cortina/ GEPA
Three-time Olympic champion joins Hilary Knight, Nelly Korda and A’ja Wilson as finalists for Best Athlete – Women’s Sports
The accolades keep coming for Mikaela Shiffrin.
Fresh off one of the most dominant seasons in alpine skiing history, the three-time Olympic champion has been nominated for Best Athlete – Women’s Sports at the 2026 ESPY Awards.
Shiffrin is one of four finalists in the category alongside hockey icon Hilary Knight, world No. 1 golfer Nelly Korda, and WNBA superstar A’ja Wilson.
Presented annually by ESPN, the ESPYs celebrate the year’s best athletes and performances across every major sport. This year’s ceremony takes place July 15 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC, live from the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center in New York City.
A Season Unlike Any Other
Shiffrin didn’t just have another great year—she delivered arguably the best season of her already legendary career.
She won nine of the season’s 10 World Cup slaloms, locking up her ninth career Slalom Crystal Globe before the Olympic Winter Games even began. The title broke the previous record of eight discipline globes shared by Lindsey Vonn and Swedish legend Ingemar Stenmark.
She also captured her sixth Overall Crystal Globe, tying Austrian great Annemarie Moser-Pröll for the most overall titles by a woman. Even more impressive? She accomplished it while scoring World Cup points in only slalom and giant slalom.
Olympic Gold in Dominant Fashion
Then came Cortina.
When the pressure peaked, Shiffrin delivered one of the most commanding performances ever seen at an Olympic Winter Games.
She skied away from the field to win slalom gold by 1.5 seconds—a massive margin in a discipline where races are usually decided by hundredths.
Her victory marked the largest winning margin in Olympic women’s slalom since Vreni Schneider won by 1.68 seconds in 1988. Incredibly, Shiffrin’s margin nearly matched the combined winning margins from every Olympic women’s slalom race held between 1998 and 2022.
The win gave Shiffrin her third Olympic gold medal, making her the most decorated American alpine skier in Olympic history with three golds and four total Olympic medals.
At 30 years old, she also became the oldest American woman ever to win Olympic gold in alpine skiing—and the second-oldest Olympic slalom champion, 12 years after becoming the youngest.
The Records Keep Coming
If there was a record to chase this season, chances are Shiffrin caught it.
She finished the winter with:
- 110 career World Cup victories, extending her all-time record.
- 168 career World Cup podiums, another all-time best.
- 73 career slalom victories, the most ever in a single discipline.
- The No. 1 spot in the Overall World Cup standings.
- Fourth in giant slalom despite beginning the season outside the top 15.
One statistic stands above the rest.
Shiffrin’s 73 slalom victories alone would rank fourth on the all-time World Cup wins list—behind only herself (110), Ingemar Stenmark (86), and Lindsey Vonn (84). She would still sit ahead of Marcel Hirscher’s 67 career victories.
More Than Numbers
The ESPY nomination recognizes far more than one remarkable winter.
For 16 seasons, Shiffrin has continued to redefine what greatness looks like in alpine skiing. Every year brings another milestone, another record, another reminder that consistency at this level is almost impossible.
Her résumé now belongs in conversations that extend well beyond ski racing, alongside sporting icons like Simone Biles, Lionel Messi, Michael Jordan, Tom Brady, Wayne Gretzky, and Muhammad Ali.
The records may continue to grow, but Shiffrin’s legacy is already secure.
Tune In
Fans can find the full list of nominees on ESPN’s ESPY Awards website.
The 2026 ESPY Awards air Wednesday, July 15, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
Vote for Mikaela
Fans can help Shiffrin bring home another major honor by voting for her in the Best Athlete – Women’s Sports category.
Voting is open now and fans can vote once per day, every day, from multiple devices. Every vote helps determine this year’s ESPY winners.
Supporters are encouraged to share the voting link with family, friends, ski clubs, and across social media. U.S. Ski & Snowboard also encourages partners to spread the word through their internal company communications to help rally support for Shiffrin.
Information Courtesy of a press release by Megan Harrod.
About the Author: SR Staff Report
