Mikaela Shiffrin opens out about her PTSD diagnosis hours before winning the 101st World Cup, recalling a heartbreaking injury

Killington, Vermont, November 30. Mikaela Shiffrin’s home fans, and her opportunity to win the 100th World Cup. She starts out beautifully, but then she hits the snow. The best technical skier of all time hits two gates before coming to a standstill in the fence. Numerous injuries ensued, including an abdominal puncture wound. Shiffrin persevered through injuries, surgeries, and recuperation. She won the 100th time and then went for the fortunate 101 on March 27, 2025. However, the damage had far-reaching consequences. It harmed her emotional well-being.

The fourth episode of season three of Moving Right Along, titled Intrusive Thoughts, was published on March 27, 2025. The video’s opening sentence, “It’s been scary to experience these flashes of images of crashing, not knowing what they were when I was feeling them,” indicated that she was waging a separate struggle within her head while attempting to do her best on the snow. Mikaela was seen speaking with her doctor in the footage on February 12. Shiffrin’s doctor confirmed that her description of “almost a film over things” was compatible with PTSD.

The doctor reassured Shiffrin that it was not “a permanent diagnosis,” but emphasised the need of having tools to better understand and communicate her predicament. “And I think it’s important that we understand what’s happening and have words for it and continue to treat it and not just have it be some, ‘oh, I’m having difficulty coping’,” according to the physician. Shiffrin agreed.

Shiffrin opened out even more. “The visions I experience when skiing are like flashes. “They’re called intrusive thoughts.” And these flashes were not necessarily from Vermont; “And it’s not necessarily the crash from Killington, but it’s the same sort of experience, like tunnel vision, looking through goggles.” She even discussed her entire experience with it in the video.

She went on to say, “The route that I was practicing on was like every curve that I skied, I had a glimpse of myself falling. And then you can envision yourself blowing past the fence and plummeting into the trees.” Her fear of crashing negatively impacted her confidence, leading her to shrink back and avoid taking risks. However, these visions have been greatly decreased. Recently, she stated that the episodes are less frequent and that doing things she felt uncomfortable with had helped.

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Is Shiffrin’s battle with PTSD a watershed moment in how we regard mental health in sports?

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Mental health issues are not uncommon among athletes. Simone Biles withdrew from many events at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics due to what gymnasts call ‘the twisties’—a mental condition in which the mind and body are out of sync, resulting in a lack of spatial awareness when in the air. During the Gold Over America Tour, she admitted to being afraid of doing gymnastics and not executing twists in her shows. But, just as she came back and won the gold medal in Paris, Mikalea eventually picked up speed, winning races, reaching the century mark, and now even beyond it.

Mikaela Shiffrin ranks 101st

What do you do after a century of World Cup victories? Who else would know? Mikaela Shiffrin is the only one who has done it. So she went for number 101. If we looked at her entire career, this would be THE SEASON because, while winning the first two slalom races, she missed four of the discipline’s ten events due to the Vermont injury. But what begins with a victory concludes with a win.

The Olympian attended the Women’s World Cup finals in Sun Valley on March 27, 2025. She flew over the hilly, tricky track with ease, achieving a combined time of 1:45.92. She was the quickest in the first run, finishing 1.13 seconds ahead of Germany’s Lena Durr. This was the biggest time gap she’d had this season in slalom; Slovenia’s Andreja Slokar finished third.

This victory placed the Vermont native fourth in the slalom rankings. Given the races she missed, that’s an outstanding accomplishment. Now that Mikael Shiffrin had his 101st win, how many more do you think he’ll have?

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Mikaela Shiffrin frequently thinks about her dad throughout a season defined by a devastating collision and a significant milestone

Sun Valley, Idaho (AP) Mikaela Shiffrin was at a World Cup finals celebration party when the band started playing Paul Simon’s “You Can Call Me Al.”

Tears instantly formed. That was her father’s favourite music.

The American ski racing star is currently reflecting on her father, Jeff Shiffrin. He perished five years ago in a house accident.

Her father encouraged her passion of skiing. He gave advice and comments, generally taking in her races from the sidelines with a camera swinging from a strap around his neck.

Mikaela Shiffrin reflects on her 100th World Cup triumph and wonders what he would have thought.

“I just wish,” she replied, “I could ask him.”

Shiffrin’s season has been extremely arduous, and it will come to an end on Thursday with her slalom race at the World Cup final. The two-time Olympic champion is still recovering following a fall in the giant slalom at Killington, Vermont, in November. She had a deep puncture wound, causing substantial stress to her oblique muscles. It also resulted in mental trauma, leading to post-traumatic stress disorder (GS).

Next season, there will be the strain of the Milan-Cortina Olympics. Shiffrin struggled at the 2022 Beijing Games, failing to medal in five individual events.

Dad might have been quite helpful in dealing with all of these feelings.

On February 2, 2020, Jeff Shiffrin, 65, died in an accident at his family’s Colorado home. He was an anaesthesiologist who used his clinical scientific skills to assist Mikaela design innovative training methods and workout plans. He instilled in her the ability to focus and be present at all times.

On racing days, he mostly remained in the background, occasionally climbing trees near a race hill to obtain a sight of her soaring through the course. Her father, with his distinctive bushy moustache, was always available for advice, video breakdowns, and, of course, hugs.

“This season I’ve definitely been thinking about him a lot,” Mikaela Shiffrin said in an interview with The Associated Press. “Most of it has been more emotional and, I believe, sadder than it has been in a long time. I’m sure that’s related to some of my other experiences this year.”

She’s not sure what he would have thought of her winning her 100th World Cup event, a slalom at Sestriere, Italy, on February 23.

“One of the worst things for me is when people say he would have been proud,” she added. “I said, ‘Well, we don’t know that.'” Maybe he would have urged me to give up ski racing for now. Go find something else to do.

“But I suppose he would have been proud, just like the awkward, giggly dad. If someone had asked, he could have dismissed it, saying, ‘We’re simply trying to ski well.'”

She has the support of her mother and brother. Her boyfriend is Norwegian star Aleksander Aamodt Kilde.

She relies on them—and will continue to do so as the Olympics approach. Because the Beijing Games will be discussed frequently to Shiffrin. Everything seemed different, especially the location and the paucity of fans due to the epidemic, which made it difficult to generate any kind of buzz.

This edition of the Winter Games is held in a well-known site in Cortina, on a slope where Shiffrin won a World Cup super-G race in 2019 and a World Championship Alpine combined gold medal in 2021.

“In many ways, Cortina is going to be — it might actually feel like my first Olympics in a place where Alpine skiing doesn’t feel like an afterthought,” said Shiffrin, who claimed the GS gold in Pyeongchang four years later after winning the slalom in Sochi in 2014.

Lindsey Vonn, who has just returned to the spotlight, is expected to join her. Vonn, 40, just finished second in the super-G at the World Cup championships, capping up her comeback season following a partial knee surgery.

“Watching her ski that way (Sunday) with really challenging conditions… was really impressive,” said Shiffrin, 30. “I thought her skiing was really powerful.”

Shiffrin will cede her overall slalom championship on Thursday, regardless of how she finishes, after capturing the discipline’s crystal globe the previous two seasons. She is now sixth in the season-long slalom rankings (she missed four races due to her crash) and has a chance to finish second or third. Zrinka Ljutic of Croatia is in first place, with three other riders close behind.

“There’s still a level of focus and intensity that I really want to bring to the slalom,” Shiffrin told reporters. “I also want to ski as well as I can. I want to be ready to handle anything comes my way with my finest game and turns.”

That’s the approach her father helped establish.

She’s been having flashbacks of him recently. Like the Simon tune.

“That song (coming on at the celebration), it was a gift for me,” Shiffrin joked. “I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m going to start crying.'” Certain music reminds me of him. Certain apparel reminds me of him. “Those memories return in flashes and at unexpected times.”

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Mikaela Shiffrin’s fiance, Aleksander Kilde, gives glimpses of post-surgery rehabilitation following tragic crash

Mikaela Shiffrin’s fiancé, Aleksander Kilde, uploaded a video of him working out and recovering from a tragic collision last year. The skier has been suffering with ailments for more than a year.

Kilde suffered serious injuries following a dramatic collision during a World Cup race in Wengen, Switzerland, in January last year. He had a dislocated shoulder, an injury to the Lauberhorn, and a nasty cut to his leg. After this horrible episode, he was promptly transported to the hospital and has been recovering ever since.

His dislocated shoulder has not totally healed, and he had additional operation in February 2025. He routinely posts rehabilitation updates on social media, detailing his efforts to return to skiing. Most recently, he posted a video on Instagram story of his post-surgery routine, in which he attempted calf and shoulder workouts.

Alexander Kilde’s Instagram story.

During rough times, he had the support of his girlfriend, Mikaela Shiffrin, who was also dealing with ailments this season. However, she returned to the slopes in January 2025 and has now achieved 100 World Cup victories and 156 podium places.

Mikaela Shiffrin sent a nice email to her boyfriend, Aleksander Kilde, following his recent surgery.

Mikaela Shiffrin sent a sweet letter to her boyfriend, Aleksander Kilde, who just underwent shoulder surgery. Shiffrin told BR24 that she hadn’t embraced Kilde in a year since he couldn’t use his arm after the accident.

Excited about hugging him, she emphasised the significance of health, explaining that it is far more essential than winning any tournament.

“Ultimately, our health and happiness are the most essential things. It’s easy to forget when you’re in the thick of a competition and everyone wants to win. But, in the end, just being able to use your arm again is incredibly remarkable. Mikaela Shiffrin stated, “I’m looking forward to giving him a real hug again, because we haven’t been able to do so in over a year.”

 

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Kilde has also been an unwavering supporter of Shiffrin during her injuries and difficult times. He graciously supported her, from caring for her to cheering her on at each milestone. He just wrote a poignant message after the American earned her 100th World Cup victory.

Kilde tweeted a nice photo of them, and in the second slide, he posted a photo of himself smiling while in the hospital bed. He added a remark to the caption that read:

“Sorry Mikaela, I know you dislike the GOAT talk, but occasionally your man should be able to boast 🐐. Today marks your 100th World Cup triumph – awesome! I’m very proud of you, and best of luck to anybody tries to challenge that record. But what shines out much more is who you are every day, which is far more important than any amount of achievements. “It’s just a number,” Kilde wrote.

He also said that he saw her performance from his hospital bed following the shoulder surgery.

“On another note, I watched this from a hospital bed – just after a planned and (hopefully 🤞🏻) my last shoulder surgery.”

Mikaela Shiffrin and Aleksander Kilde began dating in 2021 and were engaged in April of last year.

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Mikaela Shiffrin recovered from the puncture wound she sustained in a ski accident

Mikaela Shiffrin has made a full recovery from her ski accident that occurred two months ago.
Mikaela Shiffrin has informed The Associated Press that she intends to resume competing at a World Cup slalom in Courchevel, France, on Thursday. She has made a full recovery from her ski accident two months ago.

Shiffrin has been sidelined since her catastrophic fall in a giant slalom race on 30 Nov. in Killington, Vermont, as a result of extensive trauma to her oblique muscles and a puncture wound to her side.

Shiffrin, who is 29 years old, is solely concerned with her own development, rather than her pursuit of the 100th World Cup victory. She intends to compete in the slalom and giant slalom events at the upcoming world championships in Austria.

Mikaela Shiffrin: Top 5 Facts You May Not Know About the US Alpine Superstar

Here’s something you didn’t know about the skiing sensation as she competes for her first overall Crystal Globe.

Mikaela Shiffrin has become well-known beyond the ski racing world. The 21-year-old American sensation, who breaks new records in practically every race, is not only brilliant and hard-working, but also has a strong personality. Here are some facts you might not have known about her:

1. Mikaela relieves her anxiety by completing word searches.

 

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While her opponents blast their favourite music to get into the zone or attempt to envision the course one last time, Mikaela enjoys doing a word search problem as part of her pre-race ritual. Word searches (not crossword puzzles!) are a Shiffrin family tradition. Mikaela prepares for the race by competing against her mother, who usually joins her on the World Tour, in the same word search against the clock. The fastest of the two wins, and there is no peering over the other’s shoulder. Mikaela is almost always present!

2. Mikaela has her own cookbook.

 

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Daily training and peak performance necessitate a strong attention on diet. Mikaela Shiffrin has written a cookbook called The Winning Recipes from Mikaela Shiffrin to give her personal advice on eating properly. Although Mikaela prioritises eating high-quality meals produced with fresh ingredients, she does like sweets and indulgences on occasion!

3. Mikaela enjoys cat naps.

 

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Being the world’s top tech skier requires self-discipline, and Mikaela is unquestionably committed to her vocation. That discipline involves a set daily plan. She has a self-imposed nighttime limit of 9 p.m. to guarantee adequate sleep. But she also enjoys napping. She claims she barely misses her afternoon nap once or twice a year, and her hidden moniker is “Sir Naps A Lot”. Rumour has it that in Sochi, before becoming the youngest ever slalom champion, she slept on the floor of the hospitality tent between runs, wearing rain coats.

4. Mikaela is quite a pianist.

Mikaela’s preferred playlist is as varied as the skier herself. The playlist includes Taylor Swift, Ellie Goulding, and Daft Punk’s ‘Get Lucky’. She had piano lessons when she was younger and has recently fallen in love with the melodies of Italian pianist and composer Ludovico Einaudi. She enjoys playing them, as well as many other activities, which are listed below. Mikaela also plays guitar and enjoys singing and dancing.

5. Mikaela’s helmet features her mantra ABFTTB.

 

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Mikaela has set lofty ambitions for herself, and it is no secret that she aspires to win in all five Alpine disciplines, including the speed events. Since she was a child, she has labelled her skis and helmets with the abbreviation ABFTTB, which stands for “Always Be Faster Than The Boys”. She admires the tough, no-nonsense approach of men’s skiing and works with elite athletes like Marcel Hirscher, always examining split times. Mikaela believes she can finish in the top 30 of a men’s slalom event in her present fitness!

Mikaela, a child genius, had a unique childhood and enjoys dancing (see out her greatest movements here).

Big Heartbreak for Mikaela Shiffrin as the American Legend Experiences a Low Point in Her Career Days After Winning

Mikaela Shiffrin appears to be caught in the midst of a storm right now. She was celebrating her historic 100th World Cup victory only days earlier, which made her the first skier of either gender to achieve the triple digits in world cup wins. And here’s the thing: she came back strong to defeat Croatia’s Zrinka Ljutic by 0.61 seconds despite missing two months due to an injury. However, just when things appeared to be improving, the World Cup giant slalom on Saturday saw yet another setback.

This season, Mikaela Shiffrin simply cannot seem to get a break. On March 8, she failed to complete her first run in the World Cup GS event in Are, Sweden, and things went south (or should we say downhill?) once more. The Colorado gained too much speed and ended up skidding wide on a right-hand curve. In addition to costing her the race, her mistake prevented her from competing in the Giant Slalom final. Shiffrin will not be competing in the GS Finals for the first time since her debut in 2012 because the American skiing sensation will not accumulate enough points to get to the finals. In a season that has been difficult, this is just another setback.

Federica Brignone, meanwhile, kept smashing it. She dominated both runs, coming closer to winning her second career World Cup overall and winning another giant slalom. Her victory wasn’t only noteworthy; it was decisive. Lara Colturi finished third, and Alice Robinson took second place, 1.36 seconds behind the Italian skiing sensation. This season, Brignone has won every event she has entered in GS, including a gold medal at the world championship last month.

With one race remaining in the GS rankings on March 25 in Sun Valley, the Italian skier is on fire and has a 20-point lead over Robinson, although she has 500 points and Federica Brignone has 500. How about Mikaela Shiffrin, though? This season has been anything but perfect, no matter how indispensable she is in the grand scheme of things.

The struggle of Mikaela Shiffrin with injuries

On November 30, Mikaela Shiffrin crashed during her second Killington giant slalom run, resulting in a serious stomach injury. She had surgery right away, which eliminated her from the competition. As Shiffrin eventually moved from modest slope workouts to physical recovery sessions, physical therapist Regan Dewhirst joined him for gym activities. However, the athlete showed a strong will to compete once again.

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Will Shiffrin recover more effectively, or is Federica Brignone going to become the next dominant force in skiing?

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Shiffrin came back to make a full-force attack rather than a mediocre effort. On February 11, in Saalbach, Austria, she and Breezy Johnson won the team combined world title, making them the first-ever winners. After receiving international praise for her triumph, the 29-year-old revealed that she had post-traumatic stress disorder, which made her recuperation particularly difficult.

Given her exceptional tenacity and unique skill set, Mikaela Shiffrin does indeed have the expertise to recover from a dismal GS result. However, the current course of events has the potential to challenge even the most robust. Will the slopes soon be reclaimed by the uncontested queen of the slopes? Please share your opinions in the comments section!

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Mikaela Shiffrin Issues Potent Message to Teammates Hours Following Career Setback: “Incredible Women”

Mikaela Shiffrin has always felt protected with her mother. Mikaela, who grew up in the little mountain town of Vail, Colorado, was only eight years old when her skiing adventures became more serious. Eileen, a retired masters ski racer who had settled as an ICU nurse after duties took precedence, realised her daughter would require more than simply a competent coach to excel as a competitive alpine skier. Soon enough, the mother made a decision.

Mikaela was just 15 when she qualified for the Nor-Am Cup circuit, a racing series contested in the United States and Canada. A day before her 16th birthday, the skier had already competed in her maiden World Cup event at Spindleruv Mlyn, Czechia. Life was taking a drastic—but momentous—turn, and each day brought a new challenge for the adolescent. However, despite the craziness of her work life, a heartwarming constant always held her together. Eileen, Mikaela’s “best friend,” would speak in a baby voice when she felt her sadness.

The skier would respond in the same voice and chuckle. Everything would be well again in the world. Eileen would act not just as a coach, but also as a travel companion who had spent over a decade on the road, staying in hotels all across Europe, and a manager who had booked Mikaela’s flights and methodically organised her itinerary. Eileen would emerge as the anchor that their daughter needed in those trying times, particularly after the skier’s father Jeff died in 2020 as a result of a brain accident at home.

Today, Mikaela is OK. Though the unexpected jolts of anguish from recalling the moustached man with a camera in hand leave her weak, she pushes through every hardship towards fame. She makes certain to offer her father something to be proud of. More importantly, she ensures her mother’s well-being. Realising that Eileen had dedicated half of her life to her job, the skier requested that her mother step down in 2019. “I don’t feel comfortable continuing to ask you to put your life on hold,” she recalls her mum. Since then, the 29-year-old has been travelling alone. However, she never forgets to give credit to the lady who started it all. On March 8, hours after suffering a sad destiny, the two-time Olympic gold medallist rushed to Instagram to send another beautiful letter…

But this time, it wasn’t just for Eileen; it was for the women surrounding her and beyond. “I am grateful to be surrounded by so many strong women…” On International Women’s Day, she shared a carousel of photos showcasing the strength of womanhood and expressed gratitude to her team, including teammates and competitors, for their daily encouragement and inspiration.

While the majority of the photos featured her colleagues, one had a happy Eileen, her brother Taylor, and her sister-in-law Kristiana. Mikaela and Paula Moltzan were also seen in a shot embracing each other while dressed in their ski suits. The photo appears to be from the skiing veteran’s record 100th FIS World Cup triumph. The five-time Overall World Cup winner appeared in the following two photos alongside Team USA ladies Lauren Macauga, Katie Hensien, Brezzy Jhonson, Paula, AJ Hurt, Jacqueline Wiles, and Nina O’Brien.

Another selfie showed Shiffrin and Breezy Johnson with big smiles and ski gear. The photographs appear to be from another momentous day, February 11. at the combined Alpine Team event at Saalbach, Austria, both American skiers earned their first women’s world titles. It was a new format debut, including downhill and slalom races, and they won by 0.39 seconds over Team Switzerland.

Then there was a photo of Mikaela Shiffrin and Petra Vlhova! The same Slovakian skier that prevented Mikaela from winning the Women’s Slalom gold medal at the 2022 Olympics in Beijing. For those who don’t know, their rivalry began when they were children. In 2023, Petra said, “She (Mikaela Shiffrin) pushed me, and I gave from my body to ski better than her.”

Notably, the message came just hours after the skier experienced a devastating setback. Shiffrin won the Giant Slalom event at Åre, Sweden, after dominating it for years. But just into her first run, she miscalculated a corner, lost her course and skied out, resulting in a rare DNF and failing to qualify for the GS final for the first time since 2012. This season has taxed her at every step, including a devastating abdominal ailment that sidelined her for two months in November last year. On February 22, Mikaela responded with full force, becoming the first skier to win 100 World Cup races.

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Is Shiffrin’s admiration for strong women the key to her perseverance in difficult situations?

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Åre was meant to be another opportunity to highlight her growth in Giant Slalom, where she has collected 22 career World Cup wins. But fate had different intentions. “Our GS season came to a conclusion today with some really outstanding GS skiing from Mikaela, who worked tirelessly to resuscitate her GS game, which had been severely hampered by her injury in November. Unfortunately, she didn’t finish her first run. On March 8, Eileen posted an Instagram Reel of herself playing with her daughter, expressing her admiration for her kid’s resilience and tenacity.

Despite sadness, Mikaela’s mother saw a silver lining in her defeat, stating, “She made a few good turns’ as you always wanted to see, and those turns make us very excited to see what next season will bring in her GS skiing.” Eileen then described how the team used activities to convert their disappointment into laughing, showcasing their shared relationship. “Gotta love this team; they all just keep smiling and propping us up.”

 

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Although the race in Åre did not go as planned, she is grateful for a supportive community. And let’s be honest: Mikaela’s journey this season has been nothing short of remarkable, including everything.

Mikaela Shiffrin’s Journey This Season

It all began in late November with the FIS World Cup race in Killington, Vermont. She lost control while charging through the huge slalom course, colliding with two gates and slammed into the catch-fence. The hit caused a puncture hole in her right abdomen, and while she was lucky to avoid serious injuries, the fall forced her to withdraw from competition for two months.

She went through two months of gruelling therapy before eventually strapping on her skis on January 30, 2025. The world held its breath. Courchevel, France—a slalom race. Shiffrin pushed through the cold course, her actions planned and cautious. Tenth place. A modest outcome by her standards, but that wasn’t the objective. She’d returned. Then, as if switching a switch, Shiffrin reminded everyone why she is the best skier the sport has ever seen.

February 11, 2025. Saalbach, Austria. She and Breezy Johnson won gold. That wasn’t just another medal; it was her 15th World Championship podium appearance, tying the all-time record set by the legendary Christl Cranz. But what is the season’s defining moment? That occurred on February 23, in Sestriere, Italy.

This was more than simply another World Cup tournament. It was a historic pinnacle that no skier had ever achieved. What are the stakes? A chance for her 100th World Cup triumph. What about the tension? Unbearable. She rocketed down the slalom course with no hesitation or indecision, just pure, unrelenting speed. The clock stopped. The audience exploded. She’d done it. 100 World Cup victories. A number that previously appeared inconceivable.

However, sport may be brutal. Just two weeks later, on March 8, in Are, Sweden, Shiffrin made an unusual error in her opening run of a tight giant slalom race. DNF. She was immediately eliminated from the World Cup Final GS event for the first time since 2012. But we are excitedly expecting for her to appear in the snow again!

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“I couldn’t imagine not trying”- Mikaela Shiffrin makes her thoughts clear about decision to come back in this season after severe injury

Mikaela Shiffrin discussed her choice to return to the professional circuit this season after sustaining a serious injury at the Alpine Skiing World Cup in Killington. The American Alpine skier explained how she decided to compete again this season after watching her improvement during her rehabilitation and recovery process.

Shiffrin’s World Cup collision had a significant impact on her since she had an abrasion on her hip, limiting her movement. In addition, she needed surgery to repair a blood clot in her deep puncture wound. The 29-year-old went through a rehabilitation regimen and gradually worked his way back to the slopes following his accident.

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Mikaela Shiffrin recently spoke on the show ‘We Need to Talk’ about her decision to participate this season rather than postponing her comeback to the next Alpine skiing season. The former World Cup winner explained that she monitored her recovery progress and chose to take on the challenge of competing this season, expecting to deliver her finest performance.

“I think as soon as I kind of realised that there are a lot of checkpoints along the way in this rehab and just kind of okay how’s oblique healing, when can I start activating those muscles, working through isometric work and then rotational and all these different checkpoints and as I was working through them we were getting a better gauge about when realistically return to getting on my skis and then potentially back to training and then potentially back to racing,” she says. (9:45)

“As it became more clear that physically I might be able to withstand racing again this season, I couldn’t imagine not trying, and even though this has been challenging to return, I prefer to be much aware of these challenges than beginning next season,” according to her.

Mikaela Shiffrin talks about racing after overcoming an injury.

In an interview with CBC Olympics, Mikaela Shiffrin discussed her mid-season return to competition after suffering an injury. The former World Cup Champion admitted that it felt different this time since she was competing with a different attitude.

Rather of competing for the championship, she aimed to focus on her recuperation and make great progress.

“It’s a strange place to be returning mid-season from an injury while also returning during the world championships, where the world is, you know, ready for medals, and I’m like, you know, I want to take steps and manage the athletic performance side of it from just the basic recovery side of it. “That’s been very interesting for both my team and me,” she explained.

Shiffrin also praised her staff for their unwavering support during her recuperation and for assisting her in a speedy comeback.

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“Hard to wrap my mind around 100 races”- Mikaela Shiffrin speaks out on reaching a milestone after battling injuries

Mikaela Shiffrin spoke about scoring a milestone victory after suffering with ailments during the Alpine Skiing season. The American Alpine skier just won her 100th World Cup title in Sestriere, cementing her place among the sport’s greats.

However, Shiffrin’s path to the milestone triumph had not been simple. She suffered a huge setback early in the Alpine Skiing in the World Cup Killington, when she crashed just before the finish. Mikaela Shiffrin needed surgery a week after the incident to address a major puncture wound. After a six-week recuperation program, Shiffrin returned to the slopes and struggled to finish on the podium in her first three competitions.

Mikaela Shiffrin won her 100th World Cup in the Alpine Skiing World Cup in Sestriere, and she spoke about it in an interview with We Need to Talk. She admitted that it had required a lot of hard work and devotion from her, and that she couldn’t quite grasp the sensation of success in her thoughts.

“I’m not sure it’s sunk in. I believe 100 represents a lot of labour, effort, patience, and commitment, as well as the relentless getting out and doing it even on days when we’re not inspired from my entire team and all those who have worked with me over the years. “It’s a culmination of a lot of effort and sacrifice,” she remarked.

“It’s difficult to put my mind around 100 races, but it’s much simpler to find value in things like sharing the podium with my colleague Paula Moltzan; that was wonderful. She’s had an incredible season; she earned a gold at the World Championships, which was very great to share with my teammates,” she said.

 

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Mikaela Shiffrin on returning to the slopes following her injury

Mikaela Shiffrin at the Audi FIS Ski World Cup Sestriere 2025 – Source: Getty

Mikaela Shiffrin shared on Instagram her views on returning to competitive skiing after an injury. The American Alpine skier praised her colleagues for their unwavering support and assistance in developing the proper mentality for her comeback to the slopes.

Furthermore, she commended her staff for their continuing patience as she worked through the healing process.

“Before stepping back into the start gate of Giant Slalom, I want thank my teammates who have helped me to wrap my head around the realness and validity of the psychological symptoms involved in this return,” she said on Instagram.

 

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Shiffrin acknowledged that despite returning to the slopes, she still needed to work hard to reach her peak performance.

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Lindsey Vonn was ‘disappointed’ with way Mikaela Shiffrin handled the choice to race with another teammate

SAALBACH-HINTERGLEMM, Austria (AP) – They are the two greatest skiers in United States history. Specifically, in women’s skiing in general.

It’s hardly surprising that having Lindsey Vonn and Mikaela Shiffrin on the same team might lead to conflict.

It happened years ago, when Vonn was nearing the end of her career and Shiffrin was just starting out. And now it’s happening again, with Vonn returning to racing at the age of 40, nearly six years after retiring.

But who thought that the all-new team-based event would bring the tension to the surface?

Vonn expressed disappointment with Shiffrin’s choice to participate in the combined event at the skiing world championships alongside downhill world champion Breezy Johnson, rather than forming a “dream team.”

Vonn had hoped to race with Shiffrin on an American squad that would have included the two most successful skiers in World Cup history. Never mind that neither skier is officially permitted to choose who they partner with; the U.S. team’s coaching staff makes that decision based on “season-best results” in both downhill and slalom.

Shiffrin withdrew from the team combined race due to a lack of giant slalom training after a November collision in Killington, Vermont.

Shiffrin made a modification to her plans Monday. She stated that she was struggling to overcome her worries following her November fall, so she chose to withdraw from defending her giant slalom championship and run the combined instead, teaming with Johnson. Shiffrin will compete in the slalom, while Johnson will race the downhill.

Slalom has lower speeds than giant slalom, making it a less risky sport.

“I’m happy for Breezy and Mikaela to work together, and I think they’ll make an excellent combination. However, I am upset in how it was handled,” Vonn told The Associated Press.

Vonn said she contacted Shiffrin, who agreed it would be amazing to compete together. However, Vonn was then informed that Shiffrin will not be competing in the combined. Vonn just found out about Shiffrin’s ultimate choice to race it via Instagram.

“Despite the lack of communication I am a team player and am looking forward to be partnered with AJ Hurt, who is an amazing young skier,” he said.

Shiffrin’s spokesperson declined to comment on the matter.

A new event has one racer participating in downhill and another in slalom.

The combined event consists of one racer participating in a downhill run and another in a slalom run, with the two times put together to determine the final results. Each nation may enter up to four partnerships.

Johnson won the world downhill title, and Shiffrin won two World Cups this season, therefore they were nominated to Team 1.

The No. 2 team consists of super-G bronze medallist Lauren Macuga and Paula Moltzan. Vonn and Hurt are ranked third, followed by Jacqueline Wiles and Katie Hensien in fourth place.

Shiffrin and Vonn have the most World Cup victories among female racers, with 99 and 82, respectively. Vonn has the most World Cup downhill victories (43), while Shiffrin has the most slalom victories (62), both among men and women.

“I think it would be probably one of the coolest things in ski racing to have 181 World Cup victories on one team,” Vonn stated only a week prior.

While Hurt, 24, has never won a World Cup event, she has finished third twice, once in slalom and once in giant slalom last season.

Vonn reacts with astonishment on social media, then deletes a post.

Before delivering her explanatory comment, Vonn looked angry that Shiffrin was not racing beside her.

“Why am I not surprised?” Vonn posted a shrug emoji on X after witnessing Shiffrin’s Instagram news.

Vonn erased the previous statement and replaced it with a new post on X, stating, “I am a team player and always support my team no matter what.” I am not shocked by the judgements taken, but it is evident that they are not mine. “I’ve always been supportive and respectful, and that won’t change,” Vonn added, ending with a Go USA flag emoji.

Mikaela Shiffrin reflects on her 100th World Cup victory in an in-depth interview

Mikaela Shiffrin questioned if she’d be able to compete again this season following a massive slalom collision on November 30, let alone return to the top of a World Cup podium so soon after winning her record-extending 100th career race last Sunday.

Shiffrin discussed the victory in an in-depth interview for a Stifel Snow Show episode that aired Saturday (available on the NBC Sports YouTube channel). The extended interview is at the top of this page.

“There’s so much more meaning to this one than a number or a record,” she told me. “I wouldn’t call it a relief. It’s almost surprising given what’s transpired in the previous several months. I honestly did not expect 100 to happen this season, so I am grateful.”

Shiffrin was remarkably injury-free for the first 12 years of her World Cup participation.

However, in 2024, she suffered two major crashes, including spraining her left leg ligaments in a downhill tumble in January. She missed 11 races last winter.

Then, following the November 30 collision, she was out of competition for two months. She had a penetrating wound that tore oblique muscles and almost punctured organs.

“It has been feeling very similar, to be honest, to this kind of mental fog that I had the year after my dad passed (in 2020),” she told me. “So communicating that, talking with my psychologist, talking with teammates, letting anybody and everybody kind of give me advice, and the main thing that everyone said is the only way to move through this is to get the exposure and to keep doing it (ski racing).”

Shiffrin’s upcoming events are a World Cup giant slalom and slalom in Åre, Sweden, next weekend.

She will turn 30 on March 13 before competing in the World Cup Finals in Sun Valley, Idaho, from March 22 to 27.