American ski racer Mikaela Shiffrin will be sitting out of the giant slalom and slalom races in Andorra this weekend to allow her knee more time to heal. Shiffrin, who is aiming for her sixth overall World Cup title this season, sustained an injury during a crash at Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, nearly two weeks ago. While she managed to avoid any major damage to her left knee, she revealed that she is dealing with an MCL sprain and a sprain of the tibiofibular ligament. Additionally, Shiffrin is still recovering from a bone bruise she suffered earlier in the season.
The 28-year-old skier from Colorado does not have a specific timeline for her return to competition but is determined not to rush her recovery. Instead, she is focused on a comprehensive rehabilitation program to strengthen her knee. Currently leading the overall standings by 95 points over Switzerland's Lara Gut-Behrami, Shiffrin acknowledges the significance of this season but also recognizes the importance of being fully prepared for the races in the upcoming seasons.
'I really want to do this right,' Shiffrin emphasized on Wednesday regarding her recovery. 'Of course, there’s a lot at stake this season and I feel that. But I also feel like the next few seasons there’s just a lot of opportunity. There’s a lot of important racing coming up in the next few seasons, and I want to be firing on all cylinders for those.'
With a remarkable 95 World Cup victories under her belt, Shiffrin's crash occurred at high speed on a course that will be used for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics. Unfortunately, this year has proven to be injury-ridden for various top athletes on the World Cup circuit. Italian downhill ski racer Sofia Goggia suffered a crash during training earlier this week, resulting in two broken bones in her right leg and ending her season. Other skiers who have been sidelined due to injuries include Petra Vlhova, Alexis Pinturault, Corinne Suter, and Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, Shiffrin's partner.
Kilde recently joined the calls for improved race-day schedules in order to protect athletes, a sentiment that Shiffrin echoed on Instagram in a post on Wednesday. She expressed her agreement with the concerns raised about the high number of injuries among top athletes this season, attributing some of these incidents to fatigue and the demanding race calendar and schedule.
“To be honest, it’s going to be really dictated by how my knee and how things react to the higher loads and to our schedule as well,' Shiffrin said about her recovery plan. She also mentioned that she is currently unable to withstand the forces of a slalom turn. Despite this setback, Shiffrin holds a 125-point lead in the discipline over the injured Vlhova and a 228-point advantage over Lena Duerr.
Shiffrin remains optimistic about her progress, stating that the pain in her knee diminishes each day, and her motion becomes more solid and consistent. However, she is cautious about managing her recovery effectively to avoid overloading her knee.
As the ski racing world eagerly awaits Shiffrin's return, she reiterates her commitment to prioritize her rehabilitation process and make a strong and secure comeback when she is ready.
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