Mikaela Shiffrin set to ski for the primary time within the Olympics in group mixed occasion : NPR

[ad_1] <img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/3360x2240+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fd8%2F48%2F74976735431f9d8b92ddff84e00b%2Fgettyimages-2198321227.jpg" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/3360x2240+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fd8%2F48%2F74976735431f9d8b92ddff84e00b%2Fgettyimages-2198321227.jpg" class="img" alt="The American team combined duo of Breezy Johnson and Mikaela Shiffrin won the gold medal at the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships last year. Now, they're aiming to repeat in the Olympic debut of the event in which the U.S. is fielding four teams." fetchpriority="high"/> The American group mixed duo of Breezy Johnson and Mikaela Shiffrin gained the gold medal on the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships final 12 months. Now, they're aiming to repeat within the Olympic debut of the occasion during which the U.S. is fielding 4 groups. Alain Grosclaude/Agence Zoom/Getty Photographs Europe conceal caption

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Alain Grosclaude/Agence Zoom/Getty Photographs Europe CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy — Slalom star Mikaela Shiffrin is ready to make her 2026 Olympic debut on Tuesday within the ladies's Alpine group mixed occasion in Cortina.

The occasion pairs two skiers — one racing the downhill, the second racing the slalom — as a solution to marry the 2 sides of aggressive Alpine snowboarding, velocity and technical.

Shiffrin, 30, is the world's prime slalom skier. This winter, she has gained seven of eight World Cup slalom races (and positioned second within the different), bringing her profession World Cup win complete to 108, probably the most of any skier all time, man or girl.

Shiffrin will race Tuesday alongside Breezy Johnson, the 30-year-old skier who gained the Olympic downhill race on Sunday. The pair gained the group mixed occasion finally 12 months's World Championships in Hinterglemm, Austria, the primary time the occasion was held at a serious worldwide snowboarding competitors.

The group format has changed the standard particular person mixed occasion, because the velocity and technical disciplines in snowboarding have diverged to the purpose the place it has develop into uncommon for skiers to race in each. Tuesday's race is the Olympic debut of the brand new format.

The U.S. ladies's Alpine group is so robust that the Individuals will area three different groups along with Shiffrin and Johnson. The second group of downhill skier Jackie Wiles, who completed fourth in Sunday's particular person race, and slalom skier Paula Moltzan, who's presently sixth within the World Cup slalom standings, also needs to contend for a medal.

Downhiller Bella Wright will ski with slalom skier Nina O'Brien, and the fourth group will function Keely Cashman in downhill and A.J. Damage in slalom.