Mikaela Shiffrin details terrifying 2024 crash injuries that nearly ended her Olympic dream

As the countdown to the Milan–Cortina Winter Olympics continues, Mikaela Shiffrin is once again preparing to represent Team USA on the sport’s biggest stage. Yet behind her return to form lies a deeply painful chapter that almost brought her legendary skiing career to an abrupt halt. The American star has now spoken candidly about the traumatic injuries she suffered in late 2024 and how close she came to walking away from competitive skiing altogether.

At 30 years old, Shiffrin is one of the most decorated alpine skiers in history. But even with multiple Olympic medals, World Cup titles, and record-breaking victories to her name, she admits there was a moment when she genuinely believed she might never race again. The physical damage from her crash was severe, but the emotional and mental impact proved just as challenging to overcome.

A horrifying fall in Vermont

The incident that nearly changed everything occurred in November 2024 at Killington, Vermont, during a World Cup giant slalom event. Shiffrin entered the race chasing a milestone victory that would have marked her 100th World Cup win — a historic achievement few athletes ever reach.

Instead, the day took a devastating turn.

Midway through the course, Shiffrin lost control at high speed. She was thrown off balance, flipped violently, and crashed hard into the safety barriers lining the slope. The force of the impact left spectators stunned and immediately drew medical personnel to the scene. Shiffrin remained down for several tense moments before being placed on a stretcher and taken away, waving bravely to the crowd as she exited the course.

What initially looked like another serious skiing accident soon revealed itself to be far worse.

A narrow escape from life-threatening injury

In the days following the crash, Shiffrin disclosed the full extent of her injuries — and how narrowly she avoided a potentially life-threatening outcome. Doctors discovered a five-centimeter puncture wound near her hip that had come within a single millimeter of piercing her colon.

The severity of the injury shocked even seasoned medical professionals. A fraction of an inch in the wrong direction could have led to internal organ damage, infection, or emergency surgery. For Shiffrin, the realization of how close she came to catastrophe was deeply unsettling.

Physically, the road to recovery would require surgery, stitches, and months of rehabilitation. Mentally, the damage ran even deeper.

Doubts that went beyond pain

Speaking openly in an interview with People, Shiffrin admitted that the crash forced her to confront questions she had never seriously entertained before.

“I don’t know that I have it in me to work all the way back from that place again,” she said, reflecting on the emotional toll of the injury.

Her doubts weren’t only about whether her body could heal. They were about whether she had the strength to start over once more — especially given what was at stake in her career.

Shiffrin explained that as she prepared to return, she found herself teetering on the edge of losing her giant slalom standings. That possibility weighed heavily on her.

“If I can’t get myself back to a high enough level to earn World Cup points,” she said, “that might be the end of my GS career.”

For an athlete who has dominated the discipline for years, the thought of quietly slipping out of contention was terrifying.

The hidden pressure of World Cup rankings

One of the lesser-known challenges Shiffrin highlighted was the role World Cup points play in an athlete’s career. These points don’t just determine rankings — they dictate starting positions, competitive advantages, and long-term viability on the circuit.

“When you’re injured and not racing, your points can be frozen,” Shiffrin explained. “But once you come back, they unfreeze. You’re racing again, but you have to rebuild everything.”

That meant she couldn’t afford a slow or tentative return. She had to perform at a high level immediately, despite lingering pain, fear, and limited preparation.

A year already filled with setbacks

What made the situation even more difficult was the fact that the Killington crash was not Shiffrin’s first major injury of 2024.

Earlier in January, she suffered another heavy fall during a downhill race that resulted in a sprained MCL and damage to the tibiofibular ligament in her left knee. That injury sidelined her for weeks and disrupted her training schedule.

Although she managed to return to competition two months later, her recovery timetable meant she could only focus on slalom events. Her giant slalom season was effectively over before it began.

By the time she returned to full competition, the physical and mental fatigue had already accumulated. The November crash was the breaking point.

“I wasn’t expecting another injury,” Shiffrin admitted. “And certainly not one that would put my GS ranking in real danger.”

She found herself hovering near the cutoff for the top 30 — a position that comes with significant disadvantages and limited opportunity.

Fear, frustration, and finding belief again

Beyond the rankings and recovery schedules, Shiffrin faced something far harder to quantify: fear. The memory of being “impaled,” as she described it in a candid social media post showing her bruised hip and puncture wound, lingered long after the physical pain subsided.

Confidence — something she had built over a lifetime — had to be rebuilt from scratch.

Now, with the Milan–Cortina Winter Olympics just weeks away, Shiffrin says she finally feels like herself again. The fear that once dominated her thoughts has slowly given way to belief.

Her comeback is no longer just about medals or records. It is about resilience, perspective, and proving to herself that she can overcome even the darkest moments.

As she prepares to take on the world once more, Shiffrin’s journey stands as a powerful reminder that even the greatest champions are human — and that sometimes, the hardest victories happen far from the podium.