American alpine skier Mikaela Shiffrin added another remarkable achievement to her illustrious career by winning the gold medal in the slalom event at the Winter Olympics — and marked the victory with a special nod to her favourite pop icon on social media.
Following her win, Shiffrin took to Instagram to celebrate the milestone in true Swiftie fashion, sharing a photo from the event alongside lyrics from a song by global pop superstar Taylor Swift.
Quoting lyrics from Swift’s track Ruin the Friendship from her latest album The Life of a Showgirl, Shiffrin captioned her celebratory post: “My advice is always ruin the friendship,” on Thursday, February 19.
Swift, who is known for her strong connection with fans worldwide, responded to the post with an enthusiastic comment, writing: “HISTORIC” followed by gold medal emojis — a gesture that quickly caught the attention of fans online.
The interaction highlighted Shiffrin’s long-standing admiration for the 14-time Grammy Award-winning artist. The Olympic champion has frequently spoken about how Swift’s music has influenced and inspired her throughout her career.
During Swift’s record-breaking The Eras Tour, Shiffrin attended the Denver concert and was seen singing along enthusiastically from a suite alongside her teammates from the United States Ski Team.
In a 2024 interview with The New York Times, Shiffrin revealed that she often draws inspiration from Swift’s journey to global success.
“I’ve spent 15 years studying Taylor Swift and she has been guiding me a little bit every step of the way,” she said. “It’s why most Swifties become Swifties. It feels like her music is speaking directly to you. Her experiences resonate; I’ve always tried to learn from them.”
Swift’s supportive comment on Shiffrin’s Olympic triumph reflects the mutual admiration shared between the athlete and the pop icon, further delighting fans from both the sporting and music communities.
