After Mikaela Shiffrin’s devastating collision, her trauma was only beginning

Mikaela Shiffrin has won 101 World Cup races, 22 of which have been in giant slalom, extending her personal record. No woman has won more Alpine skiing competitions. Shiffrin won Olympic gold in GS at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Games. She is definitely the greatest slalom skier in history. But she also ranks high in GS.

And yet, only a few months earlier, she was standing at the gate for a GS training run, feeling these emotions.

“I’d have a moment where, instead of seeing the course in front of me, I would just see what it would feel like if I was crashing on that course,” she added. “For a few days, it was extremely severe – and it happened most of the time.

“And I was just looking around while inspecting the course, and I was like, ‘There’s a tree that I could hit.'” There’s a fence. That fence appears to have a hole in it. This gate has emerged from the snow, and I can see the base of the gate that I could strike.”

The World Cup season has over, and the next one is more than six months away. Shiffrin began her offseason with a trip to New York, where she appeared on the “Today” program and went shopping. She intended to fly to Austria on Tuesday night, where she would spend time with her fiancé, Norwegian downhill standout Aleksander Aamodt Kilde.

However, preparation for the following season, an Olympic season, will begin as soon as a few weeks from now, back in Colorado. That will need more processing of the season she has just experienced. Yes, it featured World Cup victories 98, 99, 100, and 101, with the last slalom coming at the World Cup finals in Sun Valley, Idaho. It includes a world championship gold medal with colleague Breezy Johnson in the team combined – Johnson’s leg in downhill and Shiffrin’s in slalom.

However, it also featured just 11 World Cup starts, a severe accident in a GS in Killington, Vermont, in which she had a horrific puncture wound, and what she describes as post-traumatic stress disorder as a result.

“It only helps to give it a label,” Shiffrin explained.

As she struggled to recover from her injuries – physically and, maybe more importantly, emotionally – Shiffrin and her psychotherapist developed a checklist of PTSD symptoms. Shiffrin opted to forego the world championships, a biannual showpiece event held in February, because she was getting flashbacks and saw herself falling in GS. By late that month, she had made two GS starts in Italy. However, it wasn’t until she arrived in Sweden in early March that she felt like herself again.

“When I was in Sweden, I just checked off far fewer of the signals,” she explained in a FaceTime session Tuesday. “I was like, ‘I don’t feel nearly as hypervigilant or overstimulated about very minor things.'” It was still extremely emotional, but I felt like it was becoming more under control, rather than these insane outbursts where I felt like I wasn’t myself for long periods of time.”

becoming oneself means becoming the greatest Alpine skier of all time. Despite her achievements – three Olympic medals, 15 world championships, five World Cup overall crowns, and 15 more World Cup race wins than any woman or man in history – Shiffrin is nothing if not vulnerable, and she is incredibly frank about it.

Which brings us to the Milan-Cortina Olympics, which are currently little over ten months away.

“I probably have to just keep working through this, also with my psychologist, because it’s not just like the Olympics have pressure and that’s hard,” she told me. “It’s so much more complex.”

Shiffrin’s most recent Olympics, of course, were a washout, with stunning failures to finish the first run of both the GS and the slalom, attempts to regain confidence by racing the faster disciplines of Super G and downhill, and then another shocker of a DNF in the slalom leg of the Alpine combined.

Because of the epidemic, the 2022 Beijing Games were without fans, and Shiffrin herself was confined with the illness in the weeks running up to the Olympics. Still, seeing an athlete who had been known by her metronomic consistency suddenly wobble on the international stage was unnerving. In some respects, the most memorable pictures of those Games were the lengthy, agonising photos of Shiffrin sitting dejected in the snow at the side of the racecourse.

It’s worth mentioning that Shiffrin has already won the Olympics. She won gold in slalom as a teenager in Sochi. She coupled her GS gold from South Korea with a silver in the combined. Yes, she went 0-for-5 in China. In five prior Olympic events, however, she finished in the top five.

Additionally, what lies ahead is… Cortina – beautiful Cortina d’Ampezzo, the Italian Alps resort town hosting the women’s Alpine competitions. Shiffrin’s three prior Olympic appearances, in Russia, South Korea, and China, took place on slopes with snow that were literally foreign, distant from the Eurocentric milieu that the world’s greatest racers are accustomed to. Cortina is a frequent destination on the World Cup Tour. Yes, there will still be characteristics that make the Olympics oppressive. But this might also be relaxing.

“You wake up and you think, ‘Okay, I’m here. I have been here. “I’ve done it,” Shiffrin remarked. “‘Over the last 14 years of my career, I’ve been here countless times.'”

Shiffrin said she will spend the offseason concentrating on GS and slalom training, with Super G runs coming later. She is putting the downhill on hold for the time being since each World Cup downhill event requires mandated training runs in before.

That suggests she is reducing her possessions. She turned 30 last month and is coming off a physically and psychologically taxing season. She has spent nearly half of her life competing in World Cups. She already holds several records. Is retirement coming soon?

“I am thinking about retirement – just kind of loosely considering when that might be the right time,” she told me. “But I don’t believe it’s after the Olympic year. I think I’ve got a couple more years.”

A few more years, hopefully with less trauma than the one she recently completed.

Mikaela Shiffrin Spends Quality Time With Her Fiancé… Aleksander Kilde

After a long summer, it’s time to enjoy the winter season. And, with winter approaching, how far can the FIS Ski World Cup go? According to the plan, the skiing season will begin on October 26 in Sölden, home to two glaciers in the Alpine area. However, the most productive ski racer in history has yet to visit the Austrian town. Mikaela Shiffrin will skip the FIS Ski World Cup’s first event. But don’t let it damper your enthusiasm—there’s more to look forward to!

According to reports, Shiffrin will not be attending the downhill this time. However, she plans to compete at the next stop on November 30. However, it is possible that you are wondering where she is currently. Meanwhile, the 29-year-old has provided updates on her current locations, which include spending quality time with her beau, Aleksander Aamodt Kilde.

Mikaela Shiffrin accepts a new career alongside her fiance.

The skiing community is humming with anticipation as Mikaela Shiffrin approaches her 100th World Cup victory. However, the American great does not appear overly concerned with hitting the milestone. In her most recent Instagram photo, Shiffrin is seen watching her fiancé prepare banana bread. Fans may find it refreshing to see the couple combining flour and eggs, but Aleksander’s command of the banana bread components demonstrates that he is a man of many abilities. In the brief Instagram video, the 32-year-old effortlessly bakes the bread and presents a piece to Mikaela for a healthy assessment.

 

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Shiffrin ultimately filmed the entire encounter, and she was aware of the Norwegian ski racer’s efforts. After biting on the chunk, the two-time Olympic champion simply said, “delicious.” That brightened Aleksander’s day, as he expressed his thanks to his lady love in an appreciative tone. But this isn’t the end. Mikaela was inspired by the baking program and posed a query in the caption: “Should we start a new baking series?” However, the majority of votes went in favour of the couple’s new culinary venture. However, because both of them are on their way to starting their careers, committing to this baking series may take some time. Mikaela Shiffrin will return this time with some new maxims.

Victory despite the odds offers delight.

Mikaela Shiffrin sustained a knee injury during a high-speed incident in Cortina d’Ampezzo in January. She was on her way to another triumph while competing in the World Cup downhill. However, the accident kept her away from the glissades, denying her the opportunity to capture her 100th World Cup title. Shiffrin didn’t think about the record during that dark period. But something else made her think about her future.

What are your thoughts on:

Is Mikaela Shiffrin putting personal pleasure ahead of her skiing legacy with her recent decisions?

Do you have an intriguing perspective?

Debate

Last year, Aleksander Aamodt Kilde died in an accident at Lauberhorn. The aftermath was painful, as the ski racer had to deal with many injuries, bacterial infections, and so on. In January, both of them received medical care for their injuries. This combined hit made them consider giving up the sport and enjoying a pain-free existence. “We’ve had that conversation,” Mikaela admitted to having similar ideas. But, after that, here they are, back on their feet and enjoying time together. Shiffrin’s January experience has kept her away from downhill skiing this season, but she still wants to compete and prove she is not “finished” yet. Their admirers have asked to see them in this colour, and here they are!

Mikaela Shiffrin, gunning for the Alpine world record, misses the slalom medal by 0.05

Mikaela Shiffrin lost out on a record-breaking medal in the women’s slalom at the Alpine skiing world championships by five-hundredths of a second. She struggled in her second run and finished fifth, with Camille Rast leading a Swiss 1-2 finish.

Rast won gold in 1:58.00 at Saalbach, Austria, defeating fellow Swiss Wendy Holdener by 0.46 points for her maiden global title. Austria’s Katharina Liensberger finished third in front of her home crowd, 1.32 seconds back.

In her third race back from a two-month injury, Shiffrin finished 12th in the second run, 1.37 seconds off the lead and just a blink away from medal.

Paula Moltzan, an American who won her first world championship medal in the giant slalom on Thursday, finished fourth, 0.03 points ahead of Shiffrin.

Shiffrin was attempting to capture a record 16th medal at the championships. Instead, she missed the podium in a world championship slalom race for the first time. In her previous six tries, she had four gold medals, one silver, and one bronze.

Overall, she has won eight gold medals in the biannual world championships, including seven individual and one team gold earlier this week, as well as four silvers and three bronzes.

“It’s a little strange to be returning midseason, especially for world championships,” Shiffrin told NBC Sports’ Heather Cox after the race. “It’s difficult to mix the feelings of, ‘I simply want to make progress,’ and, ‘Where do medals fall into that?’ I suppose getting one gold medal was beyond my wildest hopes.”

Mikaela Shiffrin reacts after her second run on Saturday. Still on the mend from a November injury, she missed a slalom medal by 0.05 seconds. (Igor Soban / Pixsell / MB Media / Getty Images)

Shiffrin withdrew from the giant slalom earlier this week due to mental health issues caused by a November collision in Killington, Vermont. The crash resulted in a puncture wound in her belly and forced her to miss racing until late January. Instead, she entered Tuesday’s team combined event, which pairs two colleagues, one racing a downhill leg and the other skiing a slalom leg.

Shiffrin and Breezy Johnson won the gold medal in their second race back from injury, thanks to their outstanding slalom performance after finishing fourth in the downhill.

Her win tied her with Christl Cranz, who won 15 medals for Germany between 1934 and 1939 when the world championships were an annual event, for the overall world championship medal record. It also boosted her confidence for the second individual slalom event since her return last month, where she finished 10th in a World Cup race in Courchevel, France.

“I was twice as good as I was in Courchevel,” Shiffrin said with a giggle after finishing sixth on Saturday.

Moltzan, Shiffrin’s American colleague, almost missed her second medal of the world championships after a great comeback after struggling in the slalom on Tuesday in team combined. She and Lauren Macuga were leading the event after Macuga’s downhill but finished fourth when Moltzan had the 15th-best slalom time.

Still, it was a career highlight week for Moltzan, who had finished no higher than 18th in six previous individual slalom and giant slalom events at worlds and was leading Saturday when she crossed the finish line with four skiers remaining. She finished 0.02 points behind the bronze medallist.

“For me to come across the queue with the green light was a win for the day,” Moltzan told Cox in an interview. “I certainly want to be on the podium, but some days you’re on the right side of the hundredths, and other days you’re on the wrong. I got it on Thursday and missed it today.”

Camille Rast celebrates her gold-medal run on Saturday. It was the first world title for the current World Cup slalom leader. (Dimitar Dilkoff / AFP via Getty Images)

Camille Rast celebrated her gold medal run on Saturday. The current global Cup slalom leader won his first global title. (Dimitar Dilkoff/AFP via Getty Images) )

Shiffrin will return to the World Cup circuit, still on the mend and searching for the 100th win she was chasing in Killington. The circuit has three more slalom weekends remaining: next week in Sestriere, Italy; March 8-9 in Are, Sweden; and the World Cup championships in Sun Valley, Idaho, in late March.

“I’m definitely getting closer,” Shiffrin explained. “It’s been eight weeks since my operation. It’s been six weeks since I was lying in bed with a drainage tube protruding from my body. So, perspective is key. Nonetheless, I am eager to succeed. “It takes time.”

Rast and Holdener’s gold-silver result gave Switzerland its first two individual medals in the women’s category at these global championships. Holdener also won silver in the team event alongside Lara Gut-Behrami. The Swiss men have dominated, taking 8 of the 12 medals and three of the four golds. Overall, Switzerland leads the medal standings with 12. Austria is in second position, with Liensberger’s bronze medal marking the country’s sixth.

The United States has four medals, all in the women’s category. Johnson won gold in the individual downhill. Macuga won bronze in the super-G.

The men’s slalom is the last event at the world championships on Sunday.

Zack Pierce is the national managing editor of The Athletic. Previously, he was the managing editor for The Athletic’s Minnesota coverage. Following a brief time at ESPN.com, he worked in several editorial roles for FoxSports.com for more than ten years. He is a Minnesota native who co-founded the Trent Tucker Fan Club and refused to contact with society for several hours following the 1998 NFC Championship Game.

Mikaela Shiffrin Reflects on Her Late Father During a Season of Triumph and Turmoil

In a season that has tested her both physically and emotionally, American skiing superstar Mikaela Shiffrin has found herself drawing strength from the memory of her late father, Jeff Shiffrin. As she faced a terrifying crash and celebrated a historic milestone, Shiffrin says her father’s influence has remained a guiding force in her journey.

The 2024–25 World Cup season has been one of extremes for Shiffrin. In January, she suffered a serious crash during a downhill training run in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. Though she avoided life-threatening injuries, the incident forced her to miss several races and reset mentally and physically. It was in the quiet, reflective moments during her recovery that she says she felt closest to her father.

Jeff Shiffrin, who passed away suddenly in 2020 following an accident at home, was a constant presence throughout Mikaela’s early career. A physician and passionate supporter of her skiing, Jeff was known for his calm demeanor and deep devotion to his daughter’s well-being both on and off the slopes.

“After the crash, I found myself thinking about him constantly,” Mikaela shared in a recent interview. “He always emphasized the importance of perspective—how setbacks don’t define you, but how you respond to them does.”

Shiffrin returned to competition with renewed focus and soon added to her already storied legacy. In March, she claimed her 100th World Cup victory, a milestone no woman had reached before. The moment was both euphoric and bittersweet.

“I wished more than anything that my dad could have been there,” she said. “But in a way, he was. Everything I’ve accomplished, I carry his influence with me.”

The milestone sparked an outpouring of admiration from fans and fellow athletes alike. Many pointed to Shiffrin’s resilience and composure as a testament to her mental toughness—a quality she attributes in part to the values her father instilled in her.

As the season winds down, Shiffrin continues to compete at the highest level, but with a deeper sense of purpose. She says her father’s legacy isn’t just in her medals, but in how she carries herself through life’s peaks and valleys.

“Every race, every turn, every challenge—I know he’s with me,” she said. “That gives me the strength to keep going, no matter what.”

In a career already filled with historic accomplishments, it’s Shiffrin’s humanity, humility, and heartfelt connection to her roots that continue to define her legacy.