Mikaela Shiffrin needed a few words to win gold.

Mikaela Shiffrin won Olympic giant slalom gold and said short mantras and reminders from her team helped her focus; she also emphasized daily structure and discipline.

Mikaela Shiffrin entered an NBC studio two days after winning an Olympic giant slalom gold medal, saying the victory eased an eight-year gap in Olympic medals. She described how long-term consistency, daily structure and discipline shape her training and racing. At these Games she relied on sticky-note mantras and external cueing from her team to manage nerves and stay focused between start and finish. She also noted a brief celebration, including an espresso martini she said was her first drink in two years. Key points: - Shiffrin won Olympic giant slalom gold, her first Olympic gold since 2018. - She emphasized structure and consistency, saying daily warmups, gym work and showing up over years support peak runs. - At the Olympics she used sticky-note mantras and asked her team for verbal reminders; examples cited include words like "Unleash," "Break the chains," and cues from her mother such as "The bigger the heartbeat, the bigger the heart." - She celebrated modestly, mentioning an espresso martini that was her first alcoholic drink in two years. - Shiffrin said she remains in a disciplined mindset and is focused on the remainder of the World Cup season, with the next race in about two weeks and several races left on the schedule. Summary: The gold medal eased a persistent expectation and came after deliberate mental and physical preparation that included short mantras and team reminders. She briefly celebrated and plans to return quickly to competition, with the next World Cup race roughly two weeks away and more season races to follow.