Mikaela Shiffrin’s return to the speed discipline in Sunday’s super-G in St. Moritz delivered exactly what she was looking for: reassurance, confidence, and the desire to keep going.
Competing in her first World Cup speed race since the Cortina d’Ampezzo downhill on Jan. 26, 2024, Shiffrin said the experience checked the most important box — feeling solid, composed, and motivated to take the next step as the Olympic season builds.
Nerves at the start, clarity on the hill
Shiffrin admitted the nerves were present long before she pushed out of the start gate, even with a clear plan in place.
“In the end, I had a lot of fun,” Shiffrin said. “I was so nervous. There were a couple of times I kept saying it to my team, ‘I’m nervous, but we have a good plan.’ But it was getting to this point where it’s hard to focus on what my plan is.”
By the time she reached the start, the nerves peaked — and simplified her approach.
“My heart was beating out of my head, and I just focused on solid turns,” she said. “For 98 percent of the run, I’m really happy with it.”
A positive stepping stone back to speed
Shiffrin said St. Moritz offered the right balance of challenge and familiarity for her first speed start back.
“It’s such a good stepping stone,” she said. “A really positive experience. It makes me want to go do it again, which is the feeling I was looking for.”
She called the race “the perfect race to make the first step back into speed,” while noting the track demanded full concentration.
“This track is challenging,” Shiffrin said. “There’s so much to remember, and my brain is kind of fried now because there are so many pieces of terrain.”
Mental load without downhill training
Without downhill training runs, Shiffrin said the challenge shifted from physical readiness to mental sharpness.
“When you don’t do the downhill training run, you don’t have that mental exhaustion from it,” she said. “But then you have to overcome more to remember what’s happening.”
Despite that, she said the team handled the day well from inspection through execution.
“All in all, I think we handled the day as a team really well,” she said. “I feel that I could go back up and do it again and be stronger here and know what to expect.”
Managing speed and checking boxes
Shiffrin also acknowledged uncertainty about speed sensations after time away, particularly approaching the jumps.
“I wasn’t sure what it feels like to go 98 kilometers an hour,” she said. “I was really worried about this final jump. I’ve only done five practice jumps in the last two years, so that was on my mind the entire run.”
By the finish, those concerns had turned into confidence.
“My jump technique was spot on,” Shiffrin said. “That’s all these things — just checking boxes.”
Team momentum and looking ahead
For Shiffrin, the result mattered less than the feeling — both individually and across the team.
“It would be nice to cross the finish line, but also most of my teammates are in the top 30 having good days,” she said. “For the team, it’s been a really good performance this whole weekend.”
More than anything, she said, returning to the speed group felt right.
“It’s been such a pleasure to rejoin everybody and experience this vibe again,” Shiffrin said. “It’s so great to be back.”
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