Mikaela Shiffrin Ready to Resume Skiing Career After Surgery and Rehabilitation

Mikaela Shiffrin has announced her return to competition, two months after undergoing surgery and rehabilitation for an abdominal injury sustained in a skiing crash in Vermont.

Mikaela Shiffrin, the 29-year-old twice Olympic gold medallist, has announced that she will resume her pursuit of a milestone 100th World Cup win next week in Courchevel, France. This marks a significant milestone in her recovery, which began after a crash in a giant slalom race in November left her with a puncture wound in her left abdomen. Speaking on NBC's 'Today' show, Shiffrin shared her thoughts on her return to competition, saying “I think the next step is racing. That's the next step of this recovery.”

Shiffrin acknowledged that she does not yet feel 100% recovered but is pain-free ahead of the January 30th World Cup slalom race in Courchevel. She views her return to racing as the next phase of her recovery process. “So the recovery is not really over, but I'm strong enough to get back in the start gate and that's the next phase of this progression,” Shiffrin told 'Today'. This positive update from Shiffrin suggests that she is eager to get back to competition and resume her quest for a historic 100th World Cup win.

Shiffrin also took to social media on Thursday to share a video showcasing her progress in recovery. The video featured footage of her working out in a gym and back on the slopes, culminating in a frame that read: “Courchevel 1/30 ... See you soon.” This teaser hints at her highly anticipated return to competition in Courchevel, France, where she will face off against the world's top skiers in pursuit of her milestone 100th World Cup win.

Mikaela Shiffrin's season was disrupted by a crash during a giant slalom race in Killington, Vermont last November. The American had the fastest opening run and looked headed for victory before catching an edge that sent one ski flying, causing her to tumble and crash into the safety netting. After remaining down for several minutes, Shiffrin was transported off the hill on a rescue sled. The crash resulted in an abdominal puncture and severe muscle trauma, requiring surgery two weeks later to clean out the wound.

Despite the severity of the injury, Shiffrin has made significant progress in her recovery and is now ready to return to competition. “I think we're going to be dealing with sort of the remnants of this injury throughout the rest of the season. But it's not painful,” Shiffrin said on the “Today” programme. “My muscles are working again. I've been able to get my strength built back up. So I'm in a really good place physically.” This positive update suggests that Shiffrin is eager to get back to competition and resume her pursuit of a milestone 100th World Cup win.

Shiffrin began the season needing just three wins to reach the century mark on the World Cup circuit. She had set herself up to accomplish the feat on home snow with back-to-back slalom victories in Finland and Austria last November. As the most successful Alpine skier in World Cup history, male or female, Shiffrin has already achieved incredible success. She topped retired Swedish great Ingemar Stenmark's decades-old record of 86 World Cup victories in March 2023. The closest woman on the all-time list is Lindsey Vonn with 82 World Cup wins.