Olympic Alpine Skiing

Skiing legend Mikaela Shiffrin will not defend her gold medal in the giant slalom at the Alpine skiing world championships as she continues her recovery from a November crash in Killington, Vermont.

The 29-year-old told the Associated Press in an audio message Monday that she is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

"I'm mentally blocked in being able to get to the next level of pace and speed and putting power into the turns," Shiffrin said, per Andrew Dampf of the AP. "And that kind of mental, psychological like PTSD-esque struggle is more than I anticipated.

"I figured once we touched ground in Europe and we got a chance to get some repetitive training days, I would be able to improve step by step and sort of the passion and the longing for racing was going to outweigh any fear that I had."

The PTSD comes after she suffered "a deep puncture wound" in the giant slalom crash, which injured her oblique muscles and was, in her own words, "a millimeter from pretty catastrophic."

The United States Ski and Snowboard team provided an update the day after the crash and said she was hospitalized with the puncture wound and "severe muscle trauma" and did not suffer any damage to her ligaments, bones or internal organs.

Shiffrin is the reigning world champion in giant slalom thanks to her victory in France two years ago.

She also took to Instagram and explained, "Right now, I feel quite far away. I'm currently working through some mental obstacles in order to return to the GS start with the intensity required for racing. … 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."

However, there was a silver lining for Shiffrin, who celebrated the opportunity to participate in the Team Combined race because she is not competing in the giant slalom.

She was paired with downhill gold medalist Breezy Johnson for the team event.

Shiffrin finished in 10th place in slalom—which does not feature the same speed and danger level as giant slalom—when she returned to action in January for the first time since her crash.

She also plans on competing in slalom at worlds.

Shiffrin is arguably the greatest skier of all time as a two-time Olympic gold medalist, one-time Olympic silver medalist and seven-time world champion with a resume that also includes 99 World Cup wins. That makes here the winningest skier in history.

Mikaela Shiffrin provided an injury update on Saturday after a nasty crash into the protective fencing during her second run of a World Cup giant slalom race.

In a video released on social media, the star skier said there was "not really too much cause for concern at this point" and that "all scans so far are clear," but that she had a "pretty good abrasion."

Quick update. Thank you for your cheers and support. Wishing the best of luck to my teammates tomorrow!! I’ll be cheering from the sidelines on this one.🙏❤️ pic.twitter.com/5siYwSFxMT

— Mikaela Shiffrin ⛷️ (@MikaelaShiffrin) November 30, 2024

Shiffrin was attended to for some time on the course by medical staff after flipping and crashing into the protective fencing during the giant slalom race.

"It's just so sad, of course, to see Mikaela crash like that and skiing so well," Sara Hector—who ultimately won the event with a time of one minute and 53.08 seconds—said on the broadcast. "It breaks my heart and everybody else here."

Shiffrin was leading the pack after her first run by a 0.32-second margin and suffered her injury just five gates away from the finish.

The 29-year-old Shiffrin has not dealt with an excess of injuries during a career that has included two Olympic gold medals, five World Cup titles and seven world championships, though this year has now included two injuries.

In January, she dealt with a sprained MCL and tibiofibular ligament in her left knee. It was the first significant injury for the star skier since 2015 when she tore her MCL and dealt with bone bruising in her right knee. In both circumstances, surgery wasn't required.

It's also rare that Shiffrin doesn't finish races, with only 19 DNFs in 275 World Cup starts. Saturday's injury will keep her out of her best event, the slalom, on Sunday.

Olympic alpine skier Mikaela Shiffrin announced her engagement to fellow skier and longtime boyfriend Aleksander Kilde on Friday.

The couple announced their engagement in a joint Instagram post that contained a series of images, including Shiffrin wearing her engagement ring.

The ultimate alpine skiing power couple. ❤️

Mikaela Shiffrin and Aleksander Aamodt Kilde are engaged! 💍 pic.twitter.com/qU9GN8qh2U

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) April 5, 2024

Shiffrin and Kilde have been together for just over three years after first meeting one another at a ski camp. Shiffrin is arguably the greatest ski race competitor of all-time, winning two Olympic gold medals and owning the most World Cup wins of any male or female in the sport.

She had been sidelined for several weeks due to a knee injury that she sustained in a downhill crash in Cortina, Italy.

Kilde is also an Olympic medalist, taking home one bronze and one silver medal in 2022. However, he's currently recovering from a crash that required emergency surgery. He tore ligaments, dislocated his shoulder, and also suffered a gash in his calf.

While the two have dealt with injuries throughout their respective 2024 campaigns, their relationship off the slopes seems to be as strong as ever.

With the new year quickly approaching, Mikaela Shiffrin is closing out 2023 on a high.

The 28-year-old edged out Federica Brignone and Sara Hector to win Thursday's women's World Cup giant slalom in Lienz, Austria. It's her 92nd career World Cup victory, extending the record she set in March.

Shiffrin was well ahead of the field after the first run with a time of 1:01.82, and her sizable lead proved invaluable since her second run (1:04.16) was nearly slow enough to knock her down the podium.

THERE SHE GOATS. 🐐@MikaelaShiffrin claims her 92nd World Cup win and 22nd giant slalom victory.@usskiteam | #fisalpine pic.twitter.com/ZwtJFIUXUE

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) December 28, 2023

"The second run was great skiing with a little bit more space," she said after the event.

"Federica, a few more gates and she would have probably taken it. So, that's the next thing to learn for the coming races: you have to push in the second run."

Shiffrin added she was "a little back and forth in my thoughts" in terms of her mindset going into the second run. She wanted to maintain her first-place position but avoid getting too aggressive and making a critical error.

Shiffrin now has four World Cup wins for the 2023-24 season, and this was her first in the giant slalom. Her 800 points put her atop the overall World Cup standings, and she improved to third in the giant slalom rankings.

The slalom portion is scheduled for Friday in Lienz, so the American can potentially add to her medal haul before departing Austria. She has twice prevailed on the Schlossberg in the slalom in 2017 and 2019.

Mikaela Shiffrin notched her 89th World Cup victory Sunday in Finland to pad her all-time record.

The 28-year-old had a total time of 1:51.68, putting her 0.18 seconds ahead of Leona Popović.

⛷️ A legendary moment at Levi! @mikaelashiffrin captures her 7th reindeer, becoming the most victorious athlete here! 👑🦌#fisalpine #ski #wintersport pic.twitter.com/67GpSECD7r

— FIS Alpine (@fisalpine) November 12, 2023

Shiffrin benefited from an error by Petra Vlhová on her second run. Vlhová paced the field on her first run with a time of 55.92 seconds, picking up where she left of Saturday in a winning effort. During her next go-round, however, she straddled a gate on her way down to remove her from the running.

A bit unlucky during today’s 2nd run, but you have dominated the weekend at Levi. Thank you, Petra Vlhova 🇸🇰 for an amazing performance ⛷️👏#fisalpine #wintersport pic.twitter.com/a1hiSMTKGZ

— FIS Alpine (@fisalpine) November 12, 2023

"Petra really did a masterclass in slalom skiing this weekend. And she was by far ahead," Shiffrin said. "In my mind, she earned this victory and I'm quite lucky to have it."

She added her win was "a little bittersweet."

In addition to now having the most golds at Levi, OlympicTalk noted Shiffrin is the first skier to earn a World Cup win in 12 consecutive seasons. She also claimed sole possession for the most podium finishes (139), putting her 16 behind Ingemar Stenmark.

Mikaela Shiffrin capped off the 2022-23 World Cup season in appropriate fashion, winning Sunday's giant slalom event in Soldeu, Andorra.

Shiffrin now has 21 giant slalom victories for her career, surpassing Vreni Schneider for the women's record. Her 138th podium finish is also one more than American legend Lindsey Vonn.

How to end the season with a bang and break more records! As if they weren't enough 😉 for @MikaelaShiffrin 🤩

📌 Women's all-time podium record (138)
📌 Most women's world cup GS wins ever (21)
📌 8️⃣8️⃣ World Cup victories #fisalpine pic.twitter.com/8NzjY2BE79

— FIS Alpine (@fisalpine) March 19, 2023

The 28-year-old compiled a time of one minute, 55.88 seconds across her two runs, 0.06 seconds better than Thea Louise Stjernesund. She was slightly slower than the Norwegian during the second go-round, but her blistering first run (56.60 seconds) helped carry her to first place.

This is what it means to finish the season on a high note ‼️
2️⃣1️⃣ Giant Slalom victories and write history… AGAIN!
🤯 @MikaelaShiffrin #fisalpine pic.twitter.com/SauOjSD3m2

— FIS Alpine (@fisalpine) March 19, 2023

With the season concluded, Shiffrin can take a break and reflect on a campaign filled with notable achievements. In January, she won her 83rd World Cup race to move ahead of Vonn for the all-time women's record. She claimed the overall record from Ingemar Stenmark in March when she earned her 87th career victory.

"I don't know, you guys tell me," the three-time Olympic medal winner said about the next record to fall. "Just keep moving right along."

Looking ahead to 2023-24, Shiffrin might have another one of Stenmark's feats in her sights. The Swede retired with 46 first-place finishes in the giant slalom.

One day after tying the all-time record for most World Cup victories, Mikaela Shiffrin has broken the record with her 87th career win on Saturday.

The American skier made history with a victory in the slalom. Her 86th career World Cup win on Friday tied the record set by Sweden's Ingemar Stenmark in 1989.

THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME 👑🐐 pic.twitter.com/uyaQqx8V6q

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) March 11, 2023

Greatness recognizes greatness 🐐

Legends in sports and entertainment congratulate @MikaelaShiffrin on becoming the winningest World Cup alpine skier in history. 🙌 pic.twitter.com/aomRhyw8Kd

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) March 11, 2023

Shiffrin put herself in position to win with a dominant first run on the track. She went on cruise control during the second run with a fifth-place finish for a total time that was 0.92 seconds faster than runner-up Wendy Holdener from Switzerland.

Sweden's Anna Swenn Larsson was the only other competitor who finished within one second of Shiffrin.

"Pretty hard to comprehend," Shiffrin said in her post-race interview after the win (h/t CNN's Ben Church). "My brother and sister-in-law are here. I didn't know they were coming so that makes it so special."

Following her disappointing turn at the 2022 Olympics, in which she failed to medal in five races, including three she did not finish, Shiffrin has been dominating during the World Cup season.

Saturday marked Shiffrin's 13th victory since November. Twelve of those 13 wins have come in the slalom or giant slalom. The 27-year-old already secured the overall World Cup title for the fifth time in her storied career.

Stenmark won 86 World Cup events from 1975 to '89. He also has three Olympic medals, including two golds from the 1980 Games at Lake Placid.

Shiffrin's 87 wins have come in just over 10 years dating back to December 2012. She also has three Olympic medals (two gold, one silver). Saturday was the 53rd World Cup win in the slalom.

Mikaela Shiffrin has tied the record for most World Cup victories by an alpine skier in history.

The American superstar's victory in the giant slalom on Friday gave her 86 career wins, tying the mark set by Sweden's Ingemar Stenmark in 1989.

MIKAELA SHIFFRIN IS THE MOMENT 👑 pic.twitter.com/XMx4noCaFq

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) March 10, 2023

https://twitter.com/NBCOlympics/status/1634178219011088384

Shiffrin had a dominant first run on the course, finishing in the top spot and 0.58 seconds ahead of the field. She picked up steam in her second run with a final time of 1:54.64.

Italy's Federica Brignone (+0.64 seconds) and Sweden's Sara Hector (+0.92) were the only two competitors who finished within one second of Shiffrin's winning time.

Friday's record-tying win came less than 11 years after Shiffrin's first World Cup victory in December 2012. Both her first career win and the record-tying win took place in Åre, Sweden.

"At the start of the season, I didn't think I was coming close to this 86 number [this year], so my goal was the overall globe," Shiffrin told reporters about her quest for the record last weekend. "Now that I'm so close, the unfortunate thing is if I don't get it [the record] this season, it could be that many people say it's disappointing, but for me, I'm trying to keep everything realistic and maybe not get so greedy about it, because it might not happen this season."

Stenmark's 86 wins came from 1974 to '89. His final victory was in the giant slalom at the 1989 World Cup in Aspen. All of his wins came in the slalom and giant slalom.

The majority of Shiffrin's victories have come in those two disciplines (72), but she also has wins in the Super G (five), downhill (three) and combined (one) among others on her resume.

Shiffrin can set the all-time World Cup wins record on Saturday in the slalom. The event is scheduled to begin at 7:30 a.m. ET.

Mikaela Shiffrin made history again Thursday, establishing herself as the most-decorated skier of the modern era at the 2023 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships.

Per NBC Olympics, Shiffrin won her 13th career world championship medal, breaking a tie with Norway's Kjetil André Aamodt for the most individual medals by a skier since World War II:

.@MikaelaShiffrin CAN'T STOP, WON'T STOP. 👑 pic.twitter.com/9jyt9SO36o

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) February 16, 2023

Shiffrin did it in style by winning her first-ever world championship gold medal in the giant slalom:

Queen Mikaela strikes again! 👑@MikaelaShiffrin breaks the record for the most individual world championship medals (13) in the modern era. pic.twitter.com/7Rsa27Etdn

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) February 16, 2023

According to NBC OlympicTalk, Shiffrin also tied Toni Sailer, Marielle Goitschel and Anja Pärson for the most individual world championship gold medals with seven.

Regarding her record-breaking achievement, Shiffrin said: "That's unbelievable. I was so nervous, just can't believe it."

The 27-year-old Shiffrin was already established as one of the all-time greats entering the 2023 world championships in the French Alps, but the Vail, Colorado, native cemented her status Thursday.

Shiffrin had already won silver in the Super-G at this year's world championships to tie the record for most total medals, and she crossed a huge achievement off her list by finally winning the giant slalom on Thursday.

Perhaps most impressively, Shiffrin accomplished the feat just one day after officially parting ways with longtime coach Mike Day.

Per the Associated Press (h/t ESPN), Shiffrin said she "decided to move forward with new leadership," and U.S. Alpine director Patrick Riml said Day left the world championships and went home when Shiffrin informed him she wanted "to do something different going forward."

Even before Thursday's win, 2023 was already a historic year for Shiffrin, as she surpassed fellow American Lindsey Vonn for the most World Cup wins by a female skier last month.

Shiffrin now has 85 career World Cup wins, and she is one win away from tying Ingemar Stenmark for the most World Cup wins by any skier.

This year has represented a remarkable bounce back for Shiffrin following her struggles at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. She was expected to add to a career Olympic medal haul that included two golds and one silver, but she shockingly failed to medal in any of the six events she competed in—and failed to finish three of her runs.

Shiffrin has put that in the rearview and gotten back to business, winning 11 World Cup races this season and finishing on the podium 14 times overall, in addition to her two medals at the world championships.

She will have one more chance to add to her total medal record and potentially break the gold-medal record at the world championships Saturday when she competes in the slalom—a discipline in which she has won gold at the world championships four times.