Mikaela Shiffrin returns to Cortina crash site “totally at peace”
The two-time Olympic champion shared an inspiring message after she returned to the scene of the crash that marred her alpine skiing season with fellow Olympic champion Tina Maze.
Alpine Skiing
Mikaela Shiffrin showed no sign of regret after she visited the site of her season-marring crash in Cortina d’Ampezzo on Wednesday (20 March).
The American alpine skiing superstar crashed on the Olympia delle Tofane course during a World Cup downhill race on 26 January spraining the MCL and tibiofibular ligament in her knee. The injury forced the 29-year-old to sit out the next 11 races and ended her hopes of retaining the overall Crystal Globe.
But Shiffrin, who returned to action to claim the slalom title in Are, Sweden, before registering a record-extending 97th World Cup win in Saalbach, Austria, expressed no bitterness as she re-visited the same place that upended her season.
In a video she shared on Instagram, the American can be seen skiing down the same slope where her accident occured alongside Slovenian alpine skier Tina Maze.
“A day for the soul,” Shiffrin wrote as a caption to the clip.“What a funny thing to return to the scene of the crash, and feel totally at peace while freeskiing right past it.
“We live, we crash, we learn, we grow, and hopefully don’t allow fear to dictate how we experience the things we love to do. Let it be no more, and no less than what it really is - a part of the process.”
The video and its inspiring message echo Shiffrin's comments following her victory in Saalbach where she shared her anticipation for next year.
“I am looking forward to next season already," Shiffrin told FIS following the race.