Mikaela Shiffrin received a public congratulations from Taylor Swift after the American star captured gold in slalom at the 2026 Winter Olympics, further cementing her place in history for Team USA.
Shiffrin secured her third Olympic gold medal on Wednesday, February 18, becoming the most decorated skier in Olympic history and the first American skier to win three Olympic golds. She finished the women’s slalom with a combined time of 1:39.10, crossing the line 1.50 seconds ahead of Switzerland’s Camille Rast, the largest winning margin in any Olympic alpine skiing event since 1998.
Following her victory, Shiffrin shared a photo from the competition on Instagram and quoted lyrics from Swift’s song “Ruin the Friendship,” writing, “My advice is always ruin the friendship.” The track appears as the sixth song on Swift’s 12-track album The Life of a Showgirl, released October 3, 2025.
Swift responded in the comments section of Shiffrin’s post, writing, “HISTORIC 🥇🥇🥇.”
The medal marked Shiffrin’s first Olympic podium finish in eight years. Her previous slalom gold came at the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi. After completing her final run, she briefly lowered her head before raising her fist in celebration.
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“I wanted to be free, I wanted to unleash. It’s not easy to do that, but I’ve been so focused every single day,” Shiffrin told reporters after the race. “In the end, today, showing up – that was the thing I wanted most. More than the medal. Now, to also get to have a medal is unbelievable.”
Mikaela Shiffrin’s Longstanding Admiration For Taylor Swift
Mikaela Shiffrin has spoken publicly about her admiration for Taylor Swift in recent years. In July 2023, she attended Swift’s Eras Tour stop in Denver with fellow U.S. Ski teammates, where they rented a suite and sang along to the setlist.
In January 2024, Shiffrin told The New York Times that Swift’s career has influenced her approach to fame and competition. “I’ve spent 15 years studying Taylor Swift, and she has been guiding me a little bit every step of the way,” she said in an interview in Vermont after earning the 90th victory of her 93-career World Cup wins at the time.
“It’s why most Swifties become Swifties,” she added. “It feels like her music is speaking directly to you. Her experiences resonate; I’ve always tried to learn from them.”
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With her third Olympic gold medal and record-setting performance in 2026, Shiffrin added another milestone to a career that already includes multiple world titles and more than 90 World Cup victories, further extending her standing in alpine skiing history.
