Ski Star Shiffrin Makes Public Hate Messages She Received - Mikaela Shiffrin wins gold amid relentless online abuse at 2026 Olympics
Mikaela Shiffrin, widely regarded as the greatest alpine ski racer of her generation, has faced a wave of online abuse during the 2026 Winter Olympics in Cortina d'Ampezzo. The attacks followed her public comments on US politics, where she cited Nelson Mandela to promote values like inclusion and kindness. Despite the backlash, she secured gold in the slalom event, marking a strong comeback after the 2022 Games.
Shiffrin took to Instagram to share examples of the hate messages she received. Some called her a 'fucking joke' and a 'worthless piece of shit', with German media like Stern and Radio Lippe reporting the German-language slurs 'Du bist ein verdammter Witz' and 'wertloses Stück Scheiße'. Her team worked quickly to remove the abusive posts from social media platforms.
The abuse came after she referenced Mandela's ideals in a statement about US political divisions. This isn't the first time Shiffrin has spoken about the pressures of her career—she has previously described vomiting from nerves before races.
Despite the controversy, she delivered a dominant performance in Cortina. Her gold in the slalom event added to her Olympic title from 2022, reinforcing her status as one of skiing's all-time greats.
Shiffrin's victory in Cortina came amid a storm of online hostility. While her team took steps to shield her from the worst of the abuse, the incident has highlighted the broader issue of hate directed at athletes on social media. She remains focused on using her platform to advocate for kindness and diversity in sport.
