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Mikaela Shiffrin Faces Mental Health Challenges Post-Injury
Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria — American alpine skiing star Mikaela Shiffrin has revealed she is grappling with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following an injury sustained during a giant slalom race in November. As a result, she has made the decision to not defend her gold medal in the giant slalom at the upcoming Alpine skiing World Championships.
On November 30, Shiffrin suffered a severe injury — a deep puncture wound — during a giant slalom competition in Killington, Vermont. This incident caused significant trauma to her oblique muscles, forcing her to confront both physical recovery and mental anguish.
In a candid Instagram post shared on Monday, Shiffrin expressed the mental hurdles she is facing as she attempts to regain the competitive spirit necessary for racing. “I’m currently working through some mental obstacles in order to return to the GS start with the intensity required for racing,” she wrote. “Honestly, I really didn’t anticipate experiencing so much of this kind of mental/PTSD struggle in GS from my injury in Killington.”
Shiffrin admitted that she had hoped her deep passion for the sport would help her overcome these mental barriers and that she anticipated being ready in time for the World Championships. However, she acknowledged the reality of her situation: “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.”
The women’s giant slalom is scheduled to take place on Thursday. While Shiffrin has decided to forgo this event, she is still set to compete in the slalom, which remains her strongest discipline, during the championships on Saturday. Additionally, she will join forces with Breezy Johnson for the new team combined event on Tuesday.
The team combined event features one racer tackling a downhill course while another races in a slalom, with their combined times determining the outcome. Other U.S. pairings include super-G bronze medalist Lauren Macuga with Paula Moltzan, Lindsey Vonn with AJ Hurt, and Jacqueline Wiles with Katie Hensien.
Despite hopes for a “dream team” pairing with Vonn, the selections were made based on recent performance metrics. Shiffrin expressed enthusiasm about teaming up with Johnson, noting their long-standing friendship and history of competition together. “Breezy and I have been racing together since we were 11. It will be so, so cool to bring this full circle,” she remarked.
Johnson’s journey has been particularly noteworthy, having recently returned from a 14-month suspension due to anti-doping protocol violations. Shiffrin praised her resilience, stating, “She knows the mental challenges of this sport better than anyone. Her journey and grit and determination has inspired the heck out of me.”
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