Mikaela Shiffrin admits she questioned a return to racing after 2024 crash as Olympic countdown continues

Mikaela Shiffrin is once again looking ahead rather than behind, but the journey back to the top has been anything but straightforward.

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Mikaela Shiffrin in 2025, and in 2024 after crashing at the Women’s World Cup

As the countdown to the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan enters its final month, the most decorated alpine skier in history is balancing ambition with perspective after a traumatic crash in late 2024 that forced her to confront the possibility that her career in one of her signature disciplines might be over.

Speaking exclusively to PEOPLE, Shiffrin opened up about the mental and physical challenges she faced following a violent giant slalom crash in November 2024 — an incident that left her with a puncture wound to her abdomen measuring five centimeters deep, missing her colon by just a millimeter.

While the physical recovery was significant, Shiffrin revealed that the deeper struggle came from questioning whether she could realistically return to elite competition in giant slalom at all.

Mikaela Shiffrin getting taken away by ski patrol after crashing in the 2024/2025 Women’s World Cup Giant Slalom

At the time, she was already teetering on the edge of losing her World Cup ranking in the discipline — a situation that could have had long-term consequences for her career.

“When I was coming back last year, that was really the big question,” Shiffrin explained. “Could I get myself to a level high enough to score the points I needed to keep my GS standing?”

Failing to do so, she admitted, might have forced her into an impossible decision.

“If I couldn’t make that happen, that may have been the end of my GS career,” she said. “I wasn’t sure I had it in me to climb all the way back again.”

Why World Cup points matter so much

For fans, returning from injury might appear to be a matter of physical readiness alone. But Shiffrin explained that elite alpine skiing is governed by a complex points system that can heavily influence an athlete’s chances of success.

World Cup points determine a skier’s start position — known as a bib number — which can be the difference between a clean run and racing on a deteriorated course.

“When you’re injured and miss races, your points can be frozen,” Shiffrin explained. “But once you return, that injury protection ends. You’re racing again, and you have to start building points all over.”

Without enough points, skiers are forced to start later in races, often on more rutted and slower snow — a significant disadvantage at the highest level.

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Mikael Shiffrin races down the slope during the first run of women’s giant slalom during the PwC Tremblant World Cup 2025 at Mont Tremblant on

Shiffrin knows this reality well. Earlier in 2024, she had already suffered a separate injury after crashing in a downhill race, spraining her MCL and damaging the tibiofibular ligament in her left knee. That injury sidelined her for two months, though surgery was not required.

She managed to return before the season’s end, but only competed in slalom due to limited preparation time. Giant slalom had to wait.

What she didn’t anticipate was suffering another, even more serious injury the following season.

“I wasn’t expecting to get hurt again,” she said. “Suddenly, I was right on the edge of being knocked out of the top 30 in GS, which is a massive disadvantage.”

A different kind of comeback

Despite the doubts and setbacks, Shiffrin refused to let the crash define her future.

Since returning to competition, she has gradually rebuilt her form in giant slalom while continuing to dominate in slalom — the discipline where she remains virtually untouchable.

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Mikaela Shiffrin on the podium of the women’s slalom on Jan. 4, 2026.

Earlier this month, she finished fifth in giant slalom at Kranjska Gora, a result that underscored her steady progress rather than instant dominance. While she has yet to claim a GS victory since her crash, the signs are encouraging.

Slalom, however, has been a different story altogether.

Shiffrin has opened the season with a remarkable six consecutive World Cup slalom wins, pushing her career tally to an astonishing 106 victories — further cementing her legacy as the greatest alpine skier of all time.

“There wasn’t as much of a mental barrier getting back up to speed in slalom,” she admitted. “Giant slalom is different. It takes time.”

Life on the road and Olympic dreams

As she chases World Cup points across continents, Shiffrin continues to rely on consistency and routine — including her partnership with United Airlines, which she discussed during her interview with PEOPLE.

She noted that as a MileagePlus Card Member, she is able to check her skis and boots as a single bag at no additional cost — a small but meaningful advantage for an athlete whose career requires constant travel to mountains around the world.

“Anything that makes access to the mountains easier really matters,” she said.

Now, with Milan firmly in her sights, Shiffrin is allowing herself to think about what could come next.

“Medals are definitely on my mind,” she admitted. “I’m kind of in between a comeback season and a full-throttle season.”

Rather than overanalyzing each performance, Shiffrin says she is focused on staying present and continuing to put in the work.

Mikaela Shiffrin celebrates on the podium of the Women’s Slalom as part of the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup 2025-2026 on Jan. 4, 2026.

“I’m trying not to ask too many questions,” she said. “Just keep riding the wave and doing the work.”

After everything she has endured — the injuries, the doubts, and the long road back — Mikaela Shiffrin is once again doing what she does best: chasing excellence, one race at a time.