Killington (United States) (AFP) – US ski superstar Mikaela Shiffrin said Sunday she has no timetable for her return from a puncture wound and muscle trauma from her giant slalom crash that derailed her bid for a 100th World Cup victory.
“Our guidelines are treat the symptoms,” Shiffrin told broadcaster NBC in a remote interview on Sunday as her World Cup rivals prepared to race the second leg of a World Cup slalom in Killington. “Right now I’m pretty limited in doing anything.”
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Shiffrin expressed concerns about her ability to compete in upcoming races, stating, “I think it’s pretty likely I will not be able to race in Beaver Creek.” This statement followed revelations from US Ski & Snowboard director of communications Courtney Harkins, who disclosed that Shiffrin suffered a “puncture wound into the right side of her abdomen and severe muscle trauma.” Harkins added, “She did not get stitches. They can’t stitch the puncture wound because it’s too deep and there’s a risk of infection.”
“She is pretty sore,” noted Harkins, who mentioned that Shiffrin “can’t walk very well right now.” Shiffrin herself was unsure about how the injury occurred, saying, “We’re just not totally sure how I got punctured.” She speculated that it might have happened from hitting a gate at some point, adding, “It’s basically a hole through my oblique.” Laughing slightly, she referred to it as “a really weird injury,” while feeling “very lucky to not have worse injuries.”
Shiffrin was leading the giant slalom in Killington on Saturday when she crashed while entering the steep final section of the course. She hit a gate and somersaulted before sliding into the catch-fencing. Harkins explained that Shiffrin requested to be taken off the course on a sled because she was “in shock, entirely unable to move, and worried about internal organ trauma.” Fortunately, scans showed that “bones and internal organs look OK,” with no ligament damage found.
Reflecting on the incident, Shiffrin recounted, “I think that I ever so lightly caught my inside edge on that left-footed turn and my skis kind of clicked together.” As she tumbled through the gate and slid into the fence, she remarked, “I felt like I had 12 different legs on me.”
After back-to-back slalom wins in Finland and Austria this season, the 29-year-old Shiffrin appeared poised to claim her once unimaginable century in Killington, not far from where she attended Burke Mountain Academy as a youngster. A two-time Olympic champion and five-time World Cup overall champion, she boasts 13 more World Cup wins than the most successful man, Ingemar Stenmark, surpassing his record of 86 in 2023. Additionally, she has 17 more wins than the second woman, compatriot Lindsey Vonn.
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