Well, this is NOT the news Alpine skiing fans or Lindsey Vonn wanted to hear. Just last month, Vonn was practically giddy about the idea of teaming up with Mikaela Shiffrin for the new combined event at the upcoming World Championships in Saalbach. She even said she would “love” to make it happen. Fast forward to now, and that dream is officially crushed. And not just crushed—shattered, stomped on, and buried under a mountain of disappointment. Why? Because the unthinkable just happened.

Mikaela Shiffrin, the seven-time world champion and all-around skiing GOAT, has pulled out of the giant slalom event. This is the same Shiffrin who was all set to defend her title from Courchevel-Meribel 2023. But in a plot twist, nobody saw coming, she won’t be competing. The real reason? A nasty crash from November is still messing with her—physically and mentally.

Let’s rewind to that fateful day. Shiffrin was chasing her 100th World Cup win on home snow in Vermont when things went sideways—literally. She crashed, slammed into two gates, and skidded into the fence. While she somehow avoided major broken bones, she did suffer a puncture wound in her abdomen. Ouch. That injury kept her off the slopes for two months, but what’s holding her back now isn’t just the physical recovery—it’s the mental toll.

In an emotional post on X, Shiffrin dropped the news with a simple but gut-punching message: “New Update… No World Champs GS for me.” The accompanying photo? Her, eyes closed, looking very over it in her Alpine gear. And then came the real kicker—a longer note where she poured her heart out: “I’ve poured all of my energy into getting my giant slalom in shape to be prepared to start World Champs GS in Saalbach on Thursday. The long-story-short is… I’m not there. 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.”

Shiffrin admitted she didn’t expect the mental struggle to hit this hard, calling it “soul-crushing”; to suddenly feel fear in an event she once dominated.  Now, before you start dramatically weeping into your ski goggles, there is some good news.

No Giant Slalom, But Mikaela Shiffrin isn’t done yet

While Shiffrin won’t be competing in the giant slalom, she is still racing in the slalom on Saturday and drumroll please—the team combined event on Tuesday!  In fact, she even joked about it in her post: “Since we have now realized that the GS is not in the cards just yet, that re-opens up the opportunity for me to join my teammates in the Team Combined. I’d feel lucky and grateful to partner with any of my incredible Speed teammates—and our coaches have now informed us that Breezy and I will be paired together for the event.” But will Lindsey Vonn be part of the team combined?

Yes, she’ll still be part of the combined event! Vonn took to X to clear the air, stating, “Always been a team player and I support my team no matter what.” She emphasized her commitment to Team USA despite recent decisions. Vonn also confirmed her participation, saying, “I am competing in the combined, as was always my plan.” She further expressed excitement about partnering with rising star AJ Hurt. While things didn’t go exactly as expected, Shiffrin is still ready to give it her all—proving once again why she’s a true champion.

So, while Lindsey Vonn’s dream of teaming up with Shiffrin has been put on ice, at least fans still get to see Mikaela back in action. And honestly?  Now, let’s all collectively send her good vibes and hope for some major redemption moments on the slopes. Oh, and maybe someone should check in on Lindsey Vonn, she might need a hug.