Mikaela Shiffrin The GOAT Returns to GS Following Scary Killington Crash

The GOAT Returns to GS Following Scary Killington Crash

Mikaela Shiffrin has admitted to having a “mental/PTSD struggle” as a result of her earlier giant slalom mishap.

Mikaela Shiffrin, an American skier, successfully returned to giant slalom following a mishap at Killington, Vermont.

Shiffrin, already the most successful alpine racer of all time, surged out of the starting gate on Friday in Sestriere, Italy. After two races, she finished 25th, 4.65 seconds behind the day’s leader, Federica Brignone.

“The big step today was that I pushed out of the gate. “That’s a significant improvement from not racing at all,” Shiffrin told the Associated Press. “But sometimes, when you’re used to being in the position to fight for top 10s, top 5s, podiums, it doesn’t feel like such a big step as it actually is.”

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Mikaela Shiffrin blazes down the Italian giant slalom course.
Photo: Christophe Pallot/Agence Zoom/Getty Images

Shiffrin saw the Killington collision in November as a serious setback. She sustained a puncture wound and oblique muscle injuries, forcing her to miss nearly two months of racing.

Shiffrin returned to slalom at the end of January, finishing 10th in Courchevel, France, but giant slalom, which is quicker and more hazardous, proved to pose a substantial psychological challenge.

Shiffrin postponed her comeback to the discipline at this month’s world championships, instead competing in slalom and combined events.

“I really didn’t anticipate experiencing so much of this kind of mental/PTSD struggle in GS from my injury in Killington,” she posted on social media prior of the world championships. “Coming to terms with how much fear I have doing an event that I loved so dearly only 2 months ago has been soul-crushing.”

Shiffrin did, however, have several victories in the world championships. She finished fifth in the slalom race and won the two-woman competition with compatriot Breezy Johnson.

After Sestriere, Shiffrin, who has 22 giant slalom victories, has been forced to reduce her expectations in the discipline as she deals with the consequences of a severe injury.

Shiffrin now aims to stay in the top 30 in giant slalom, rather than competing for a podium or win, according to the Associated Press. This,” she added, “is a totally different situation from the prior several years when I was competing for podiums.”

The women’s giant slalom race at Mont Tremblant, Quebec, was cancelled and will be rescheduled for tomorrow. Following the race, a slalom event is planned for Sunday.