As I write this article, the Winter Olympics in Italy are in full swing. Perhaps the two most prominent names from Team USA are Mikaela Shiffrin and Lindsey Vonn. If you have any knowledge of either of these athletes, you may know that luck has not been on their side when it comes to the current Olympics. Widely considered the GOAT athletes in ski racing, it would be expected for them to place very well in these prestigious games. GOAT swimmer Michael Phelps has a total of 28 Olympic medals. GOAT gymnast Simone Biles has 11 Olympic medals. Shiffrin and Vonn each have three Olympic medals, relatively few compared to their respective peers.
While swimming does have many more events than ski racing, Biles competed in five events in the 2024 Summer Olympics and Shiffrin competed in six events in the 2022 Winter Olympics. The difference between the two athletes is that Biles won four medals while Shiffrin failed to finish three of her six races. Vonn has competed in a total of five Olympic games, but still has come out with a modest total.
Despite their underwhelming performances in the Olympic Games, they are still the most decorated women of ski racing. Shiffrin has the most World Cup wins by a wide margin with 108, followed by Vonn with 84 World Cup wins.
So this begs the question, why do they not perform as well in the Olympics as they do in the World Cup circuit?
First, since ski racing is a snow sport, we should consider location. The majority of World Cup races are held in Europe, with a couple of races held in the United States. The locations for the past Winter Olympics in order have been as follows: China, South Korea, Russia and Canada. All four of these countries had to artificially make snow for the Olympics, especially China and South Korea. Sometimes, different types of snow create conditions that skiers or their equipment aren’t used to, causing them to trip, fall or hesitate. The cost is valuable time on the course.
Second, in my opinion, the biggest factor is the mental pressure put on these athletes. Ski racing takes a strong degree of confidence to believe you can perform well at such fast speeds. There is a certain level of comfort in having many World Cup races in a season; if one race does not go well, there are many other chances to perform well. The Olympics catch a much bigger eye, so if millions of people witness a crash, an athlete’s mental state may not be as stable as if it were a World Cup accident. Usually, to win in ski racing, a run has to be perfect. A small mistake can have big consequences. For example, just recently, Vonn was five inches off in her line for the downhill race, and those five inches caused a complex tibial bone fracture. If, at the Olympics, an athlete needs two perfect runs to win while millions of people are watching, the psychological stakes can feel uniquely high. This kind of pressure can cause mistakes that typically don’t happen outside of the Olympics. Right after the 2022 Beijing Olympics, where Shiffrin did not medal at all, she won a downhill race in Courchevel, France. Downhill is Shiffrin’s weakest discipline.
So, as you are watching the Olympic Games unfold, take the ski racing with a grain of salt. The more accurate results of the best racers come from consistent performance in the World Cup. After all, greatness is determined by a long series of moments, not just a single story.
