Featured Picture: Mikaela Shiffrin successful her slalom gold medal in Cortina/ GEPA
Three-time Olympic champion joins Hilary Knight, Nelly Korda and A’ja Wilson as finalists for Finest Athlete – Ladies’s Sports activities
The accolades preserve coming for Mikaela Shiffrin.
Contemporary off one of the dominant seasons in alpine snowboarding historical past, the three-time Olympic champion has been nominated for Finest Athlete – Ladies’s Sports activities on the 2026 ESPY Awards.
Shiffrin is one in all 4 finalists within the class alongside hockey icon Hilary Knight, world No. 1 golfer Nelly Korda, and WNBA famous person A’ja Wilson.
Offered yearly by ESPN, the ESPYs have a good time the yr’s greatest athletes and performances throughout each main sport. This yr’s ceremony takes place July 15 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC, stay from the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Middle in New York Metropolis.
A Season Not like Any Different
Shiffrin didn’t simply have one other nice yr—she delivered arguably the very best season of her already legendary profession.
She gained 9 of the season’s 10 World Cup slaloms, locking up her ninth profession Slalom Crystal Globe earlier than the Olympic Winter Video games even started. The title broke the earlier report of eight self-discipline globes shared by Lindsey Vonn and Swedish legend Ingemar Stenmark.
She additionally captured her sixth Total Crystal Globe, tying Austrian nice Annemarie Moser-Pröll for probably the most total titles by a girl. Much more spectacular? She completed it whereas scoring World Cup factors in solely slalom and big slalom.
Olympic Gold in Dominant Trend
Then got here Cortina.
When the stress peaked, Shiffrin delivered one of the commanding performances ever seen at an Olympic Winter Video games.
She skied away from the sector to win slalom gold by 1.5 seconds—an enormous margin in a self-discipline the place races are often determined by hundredths.
Her victory marked the most important successful margin in Olympic ladies’s slalom since Vreni Schneider gained by 1.68 seconds in 1988. Extremely, Shiffrin’s margin practically matched the mixed successful margins from each Olympic ladies’s slalom race held between 1998 and 2022.
The win gave Shiffrin her third Olympic gold medal, making her probably the most embellished American alpine skier in Olympic historical past with three golds and 4 complete Olympic medals.
At 30 years previous, she additionally turned the oldest American girl ever to win Olympic gold in alpine snowboarding—and the second-oldest Olympic slalom champion, 12 years after changing into the youngest.
The Information Maintain Coming
If there was a report to chase this season, chances are high Shiffrin caught it.
She completed the winter with:
110 profession World Cup victories, extending her all-time report.
168 profession World Cup podiums, one other all-time greatest.
73 profession slalom victories, probably the most ever in a single self-discipline.
The No. 1 spot within the Total World Cup standings.
Fourth in big slalom regardless of starting the season exterior the highest 15.
One statistic stands above the remaining.
Shiffrin’s 73 slalom victories alone would rank fourth on the all-time World Cup wins checklist—behind solely herself (110), Ingemar Stenmark (86), and Lindsey Vonn (84). She would nonetheless sit forward of Marcel Hirscher’s 67 profession victories.
Extra Than Numbers
The ESPY nomination acknowledges far a couple of outstanding winter.
For 16 seasons, Shiffrin has continued to redefine what greatness seems like in alpine snowboarding. Yearly brings one other milestone, one other report, one other reminder that consistency at this degree is sort of inconceivable.
Her résumé now belongs in conversations that reach properly past ski racing, alongside sporting icons like Simone Biles, Lionel Messi, Michael Jordan, Tom Brady, Wayne Gretzky, and Muhammad Ali.
The data could proceed to develop, however Shiffrin’s legacy is already safe.
Tune In
Followers can discover the complete checklist of nominees on ESPN’s ESPY Awards web site.
The 2026 ESPY Awards air Wednesday, July 15, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
Vote for Mikaela
Followers will help Shiffrin deliver residence one other main honor by voting for her within the Finest Athlete – Ladies’s Sports activities class.
Voting is open now and followers can vote as soon as per day, day-after-day, from a number of gadgets. Each vote helps decide this yr’s ESPY winners.
Supporters are inspired to share the voting hyperlink with household, pals, ski golf equipment, and throughout social media. U.S. Ski & Snowboard additionally encourages companions to unfold the phrase by their inner firm communications to assist rally assist for Shiffrin.
Info Courtesy of a press launch by Megan Harrod.
