Mikaela Shiffrin suffered a deep stab wound to her abdomen and “severe muscle trauma” in her race crash on Saturday, but escaped serious bone, ligament or organ damage.
The five-time World Cup champion is sidelined during the slalom race in the Killington Cup on Sunday. There is no timetable for her return to competition, the U.S. Ski Team said in a statement.
“Following her crash during yesterday’s giant slalom at the Stifel Killington Cup, Mikaela was taken down by sled and taken by ambulance to Rutland Regional Medical Center,” the spokesperson said. said the US ski team. “No damage to the ligaments was found. Bones and internal organs look good. There is a stab wound to the right side of her abdomen and severe muscle trauma.”
Quick update. Thank you for your cheers and support. I wish my teammates the best of luck tomorrow!! I’ll be cheering this one from the sidelines.🙏❤️ pic.twitter.com/5siYwSFxMT
— Mikaela Shiffrin ⛷️ (@MikaelaShiffrin) November 30, 2024
Shiffrin led after the first run of the giant slalom on Saturday as she chased her 100th World Cup victory. With the finish line in sight on her second run, the 29-year-old leaned into the hill, lost a lead and slid into a fence, spinning her head on skis. She then crashed into another fence before coming to a stop between the protective fencing.
Shiffrin remained on the side of the course for quite some time. She requested a sled to take her down the mountain because she was “in shock, completely unable to move and concerned about internal organ trauma,” Shiffrin said in a statement.
Shiffrin was transported by ambulance to a medical center, where she said doctors decided not to suture the abdominal wound because it is “too deep and there is a risk of infection,” Shiffrin explained.
Shiffrin has recovered from two previous injuries on the mound during her 14-year career: a torn medial collateral ligament and bone bruises in her right knee in December 2015 and a sprained MCL and tibiofibular ligament in her left knee after a downhill run in January 2024. Neither knee injuries required surgery, and both times Shiffrin was able to return to racing within two months.
In pain from the crash, Shiffrin will not be in Sunday’s slalom – a race she has dominated. Shiffrin has won six of the seven times she has competed in slalom in Killington. She is a fan favorite at the location after growing up in New Hampshire and Colorado and honing her skills at nearby Burke Mountain Academy.
“She can’t walk very well at the moment, so she won’t be able to make it to the venue, even though she is eager to cheer on her teammates in person,” the team’s statement said. “She’ll be cheering loudly from her home in Killington.”