Mikaela Shiffrin faces uncertain World Cup return timeline after Killington crash: "I have a stab wound"
The double Olympic champion said she is still feeling sore after suffering an abdominal puncture and will assess her condition over the next few days.
Alpine Skiing
When will alpine skiing superstar Mikaela Shiffrin be able to rejoin World Cup racing? It’s still too soon to say, but the double Olympic champion is unlikely to compete again this year.
“Her return to snow is TBD,” said a press release from her team on Sunday (1 December).
The 29-year-old suffered “a puncture wound” to the right side of her abdomen and severe muscle trauma following a crash during the second run of the giant slalom event in Killington, Vermont.
According to the statement, Shiffrin did not receive stitches because the wound was too deep and there was a risk of infection.
“I have a stab wound, basically,” Shiffrin told NBC Sports on Sunday.
“I was purposely trying to run the most aggressive line I could,” she added. “We’re just not totally sure how I got punctured.”
Shiffrin was described as “in shock, entirely unable to move, and worried about internal organ trauma” while she was taken down the course on a sled.
Following several scans at the Rutland Regional Medical Centre, no ligament damage was found, and “bones and internal organs look ok".
The five-time overall World Cup champion said she was feeling “quite lucky” after rewatching the video of the crash and added that she will assess her condition “in the next couple of days".
“Right now I’m pretty limited in doing anything,” said Shiffrin, who was also struggling to walk over the weekend.
Her recovery might take several weeks, and participation in the Beaver Creek Super-G event on 15 December seems very unlikely.
This is the second time that the USA skier has had to stop for an injury during her career. The last time this occurred when she suffered a sprained MCL and tibiofibular ligament injury in her left knee after a crash in the Cortina downhill earlier this year.
She was forced to miss one month of competition, ending her hopes of retaining the big Crystal Globe.