From a Serious Crash to the Slalom Gates: Shiffrin’s Road to Recovery
Six weeks ago, Mikaela Shiffrin could barely stand up without pain. Laughing or even sneezing hurt. Now, the skiing superstar is preparing for her World Cup comeback after a brutal crash in Killington, Vermont, left her with a mysterious abdominal injury.
On November 30, Shiffrin crashed during a giant slalom race, suffering severe trauma to her oblique muscles when an unknown object punctured her side. Despite the setback, she has made an incredibly fast recovery and is set to compete in the slalom race in Courchevel, France, next Thursday.
The Crash That Nearly Changed Everything
Shiffrin has watched the footage of her crash over and over, analyzing exactly what went wrong. Leading the race and on track for her historic 100th World Cup win, she lost control by putting too much weight on her inside ski.
The crash itself was intense—she smashed into a gate, tumbled over her skis, and slid into the protective fence. While she avoided bone and ligament damage, something stabbed through three layers of muscle in her abdomen.
Even now, the exact object that impaled her remains a mystery. Theories range from her own ski pole to a piece of the race gate. Fans have even reached out with their own ideas.
What’s clear is that the injury was serious. The object came millimeters away from puncturing her abdominal wall and colon, which could have led to catastrophic internal damage.
“A millimeter from pretty catastrophic,” Shiffrin recalled.
A Unique Recovery Plan with Help from Baseball & Hockey Experts
Since the injury was so uncommon in ski racing, Shiffrin’s physical therapist, Regan Dewhirst, sought advice from MLB and NHL training staffs, including the Los Angeles Angels and Edmonton Oilers.
Oblique injuries are common in baseball and hockey, where twisting movements are frequent. The key to her recovery was:
- Pain-free movement as soon as possible
- Activating core muscles carefully
- Gradually reintroducing ski-specific motions
Shiffrin’s rehab was carefully paced. If she felt good, they pushed harder. If she needed rest, they pulled back. With no clear recovery timeline, they estimated 6-12 weeks, but no one knew for sure.
Shiffrin’s First Steps Back on Skis
Shiffrin first returned to skiing on January 1, taking gentle runs to reintroduce her body to movement. Two weeks later, she was back in slalom training, making cautious turns before gradually increasing her intensity.
Her first real scare came earlier this week when she hit a pile of snow in training, causing one ski to slide into the other. She nearly fell, triggering memories of her crash.
“That was scary,” she admitted. “But I have to desensitize to those little things again.”
With her return to competition just days away, Shiffrin is focused on progress, not on chasing her 100th World Cup win.
What’s Next for Shiffrin?
Shiffrin will fly to Europe this week to prepare for her comeback in Courchevel, France. However, she and her team are keeping the plan flexible.
“If something isn’t quite right, no big deal. This is an evolving continuum,” Dewhirst explained.
While she won’t be competing in downhill events this season, she’s leaving the door open for super-G races depending on her recovery.
“For me, it’s just been about putting my head down, doing the work, and doing it as well as I can,” Shiffrin said.
Her resilience and determination are a testament to her unbreakable spirit, making her return to the slopes one of the most inspiring moments of the season.
