Alpine ski stars Mikaela Shiffrin and Marco Schwarz are overhauling their schedules for the upcoming winter, stepping away from the slalom discipline to protect their bodies and sharpen their focus on speed and giant slalom events, according to reports from srf.ch, SportNews.bz, Kronen Zeitung, Oberösterreichische Nachrichten, and Kurier.
Mikaela Shiffrin Cuts Slalom Workload for 2026/27 Season
Mikaela Shiffrin will significantly cut back her slalom workload for the 2026/27 World Cup season to concentrate more heavily on giant slalom and super-G, srf.ch reported. The 31-year-old American plans to skip the early-season slalom races in Levi, Finland, and Gurgl, Austria. However, her departure from the slalom discipline is not permanent; srf.ch noted that her season in the slalom gates is expected to begin in late November at the home World Cup in Killington, Vermont.
Austria’s Marco Schwarz is making an even sharper pivot away from his former specialty. During a media appearance in Vienna on a Tuesday ahead of the new season, the 31-year-old announced he will let the slalom event fade out entirely, as reported by Oberösterreichische Nachrichten and Kurier. Schwarz intends to focus exclusively on giant slalom, super-G, and select downhills. He cited the grueling demands of the International Ski Federation (FIS) calendar and the physical strain of managing four disciplines as incompatible with his long-term health, according to Oberösterreichische Nachrichten.
Physical Recovery and the Legacy of Injury
Both athletes pointed to physical toll and injury history as driving forces behind their altered racing paths. Schwarz’s decision comes three years after he tore his cruciate ligament in Bormio, an injury that SportNews.bz linked to the immense cumulative load of competing across all disciplines. Schwarz told reporters in Vienna that since that crash, his slalom skiing has simply not developed the way he wanted it to, according to Kurier. Remaining a true all-rounder no longer fits his current physical realities, forcing him to choose quality over quantity.
To prepare for his new racing configuration, Schwarz completed an intensive four-week training camp in Chile, where Oberösterreichische Nachrichten reported he felt a much freer physical sensation. Alongside those training blocks, Schwarz has added four kilograms of body weight to reach 91 kilograms, providing the necessary physical substance required for the rigors of downhill training and a full speed season, Kurier noted. He will also work with a new serviceman, Roman Steiner-Holzmann, entering the winter with fresh material dynamics, according to Oberösterreichische Nachrichten.
Weighing Ambition Against Discipline Overload
Schwarz admitted that letting go of his old discipline required an entire summer of internal debate before he could accept it, though he ultimately feels a great sense of relief, Kurier reported. His guiding motto moving forward is simple: it is better to focus intensely on three disciplines and contend for victories than to remain a mid-tier competitor across four, as detailed by SportNews.bz.
Despite stepping back from regular World Cup slalom entries, neither competitor has completely closed the door on the event. Schwarz told media outlets he has not put his slalom skis up for sale, leaving open the possibility of returning for occasional starts after the World Championships in Crans-Montana, provided it makes logistical sense and does not block a teammate’s starting position, Oberösterreichische Nachrichten reported. Similarly, Shiffrin retains her ties to the technical gates while prioritizing her broader championship ambitions.
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