Here’s How Much Olympic Skiing Star Mikaela Shiffrin Is Making From Endorsements

Just how good is Mikaela Shiffrin? Consider that she won four medals at last year’s alpine skiing world championships and her season was labeled a letdown.

The expectations are sky high—understandable for an American who won Olympic gold at age 18, became the first skier to win 17 World Cup races in a single season in 2018-19 and set the career mark for victories in a single World Cup discipline last month, breaking Swedish legend Ingemar Stenmark’s record by posting her 47th victory in slalom.

Shiffrin has said she hopes to race in all five individual alpine skiing events at the Beijing Games; with three Olympic medals already under her belt, she would become the most decorated alpine skier in Olympic women’s history by reaching the podium in four of those events. That is a tall order, and a grueling schedule, but if anyone is capable, it’s Shiffrin, who is still just 26 and in her prime.

Brands eager to be associated with that kind of success are watching closely. Forbes estimates that Shiffrin has made $3 million in guaranteed payments from her sponsors in the 12 months leading to these Games, with the ability to earn more in bonuses from her brand partners if she excels on the slopes—with a medal-winning performance at the world championships, for instance, or a World Cup overall title. With a strong showing over the next week and a half, she could perhaps double that figure. She could also earn multiple bonuses from the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee, including $37,500 for each gold medal.

It’s a particularly impressive performance when you consider that endorsement deals are often scarce for Olympians—and getting even harder to land as marketers have cut their rates or pared down their ambassador rosters in recent years. Shiffrin stands as an exception because of the consistent exposure she can promise her partners, many of which are based in Europe, where she spends most of her time competing on the World Cup circuit. She has long-term deals with 14 sponsors, including Barilla, whose logo is in prime position on her helmet during the World Cup season. Other major consumer brands in her portfolio include Adidas, Land Rover, Longines, Visa and new addition Grubhub.

Shiffrin is set to hit the Olympic slopes for the first time in the giant slalom on Monday morning Beijing time (Sunday night in the U.S.). Her signature event, the slalom, is scheduled for Wednesday (Tuesday night in the U.S.).

Conditions are expected to be difficult, and Shiffrin has already had to deal with unexpected challenges, including a Covid-19 diagnosis in December. She is also still recovering from the heartbreak of her father’s death in a 2020 home accident, which led her to step away from the sport for about a month to grieve. “It’s still pretty painful to think about,” she recently told the Associated Press.

One point in Shiffrin’s favor as she begins her demanding itinerary: In part thanks to her campaigning, the medal ceremonies at these Olympics have been moved closer to the slopes, cutting down her commutes.

With additional reporting by Justin Birnbaum.

For more on Olympians’ earnings, check out Forbes’ estimate for Nathan Chen—plus Summer Olympian Simone Biles.