Mikaela Shiffrin is celebrating another Olympic gold medal — and a viral live television moment. The Team USA skier appeared on NBC’s “Today” show on February 19, one day after winning gold in the women’s slalom in Milan, Italy.
During the live interview, Shiffrin accidentally let multiple expletives slip while discussing an emotional tribute to her late father, Jeff Shiffrin.
The candid moment quickly turned into a lighthearted exchange between Shiffrin and the show’s co-hosts, drawing laughter and support in real time.
Mikaela Shiffrin Drops Multiple Expletives During Emotional ‘Today’ Interview
While reflecting on her spiritual journey over the past year, Shiffrin became emotional as she described speaking to her father at the top of the mountain before her race. Jeff Shiffrin died suddenly in 2020.
“There’s been, definitely, a spiritual journey I’ve been on the last year. I just, I don’t know, I took a moment and I said… (expletive),” Shiffrin said before quickly exclaiming, “(Expletive)!” She clamped her hand over her mouth and added, “Oh my God, I’m so sorry.”
Co-hosts Carson Daly, Hoda Kotb, and Craig Melvin immediately reassured her.
“We got you!” Kotb said. “We’ll pay the fine,” she added, referencing FCC broadcasting rules.
Melvin responded, “We know what you meant. We know what you meant. You’re wearing gold! It’s okay. It’s okay.” He later added, “She’s just like us!”
Shiffrin continued to apologize, saying, “Oh my God, that’s so bad.”
Later in the segment, she joked that her teammates may have contributed to the slip after celebrating her victory the night before.
“Everyone kept handing me espresso martinis because I said it was my destiny to have one last night,” she explained. “So everyone kept bringing them to me, but then they would also say — which may be some of the reason for the swearing, so sorry again — but no, they just kept handing them to me. They’re like, ‘But pace yourself. Here’s another but pace yourself.’ ”
Kotb responded warmly, saying, “If it was possible to love you even more than we already did, today’s the day!”
After Shiffrin signed off, Daly reflected on the emotional nature of the moment. Daly, who lost both of his parents in 2017, said, “It’s not a canned answer. You know, she’s talking about her father. She’s moved in the moment. It happens.”
Al Roker added with a laugh, “I always thought that was gonna be me.”
Mikaela Shiffrin Makes Olympic History With Slalom Gold
Shiffrin’s appearance on “Today” came less than 24 hours after she secured her third Olympic gold medal in the slalom in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, according to NBC’s official Olympic website. The victory marked her fourth Olympic medal overall, the most by an American Alpine skier, and made her the first Alpine skier to win Olympic gold medals 12 years apart.
Shiffrin first won Olympic gold in the slalom at the 2014 Sochi Games at age 18, becoming the youngest American Alpine skier to win a gold medal. Twelve years later, at age 30, she became the oldest American Alpine skier to win Olympic gold.
Her latest win follows a challenging Olympic cycle. At the 2022 Beijing Games, Shiffrin did not complete several races and did not earn a medal in six events. After her victory in Cortina, she said, “I have an ever-evolving relationship with expectations.”
Shiffrin arrived in Cortina with 108 World Cup victories, including 71 in slalom, extending her record as the most successful skier in World Cup history. Her gold medal in Milan marked her first Olympic gold in eight years.
