'I am in it for the long haul', says Shiffrin as she skips Soldeu / Photo: Tiziana FABI - AFP/File
'I am in it for the long haul', says Shiffrin as she skips Soldeu
American ski superstar Mikaela Shiffrin is to miss this weekend's World Cup meet at Soldeu because she does not wish to cut corners in her recovery from a knee injury.
The 28-year-old gave an upbeat assessment of the injury she suffered in the downhill at the Italian resort of Cortina d'Ampezzo, which will host the 2026 Winter Games, in late January.
However, she wrote on her Instagram account that there was no need to rush back unnecessarily and risk further damage.
The Andorran resort of Soldeu hosts a giant slalom on Saturday and a slalom on Sunday.
Shiffrin is on course for a sixth overall World Cup triumph -- she has won seven races this campaign -- as she holds a 95-point lead over Swiss rival Lara Gut-Behrami.
"I just need a bit more time to heal and re-condition," wrote Shiffrin, who has taken her record tally of World Cup race wins to 95.
"As I've mentioned, there was no major ligament damage and the structure within the joint of my knee looks good.
"I took a ton of stress to my whole leg when I crashed and stretched a bunch of things that are continuing to cause pain, although that is improving every day!
"I still need to be patient... I am in this for the long haul and want to ensure my knee is strong and I am fully capable of powerful skiing when I return to the start gate."
Shiffrin's injury is one of a spate among the elite skiers this term, both men and women.
Italy's 2018 Olympic downhill champion Sofia Goggia on Monday became the latest to be ruled out for the remainder of the season after breaking a leg in a training run.
She joined on the sidelines two reigning Olympic women's gold medallists -- Slovakia's slalom titleholder Petra Vlhova and Switzerland's downhill champion Corinne Suter, who both suffered season-ending knee injuries.
On the men's side, French former overall World Cup champion Alexis Pinturault and Austrian slalom specialist Marco Schwarz had their seasons curtailed by knee injuries.
Norway's 2020 overall World Cup winner, Shiffrin's long-term boyfriend Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, suffered a dislocated shoulder and a serious leg injury in a horror crash in January.
Kilde has been forthright in calling for skiers to be consulted over better World Cup race day schedules as he considers the current hectic calendar and long race days unsafe.
Shiffrin is fully in agreement with Kilde, who is presently confined to a wheelchair, and says his prime goal at the moment is to get walking again.
"It's pretty hard to put into words what the actual demands are like for athletes who are in the top 15 in multiple disciplines and consistently on the podium," said Shiffrin.
"It's really too much. I absolutely believe that fatigue at this point in the season plays a roll in the injuries we have seen lately, including my own."
K.Marshall--EWJ
Featured