The expectations hit rock bottom as Mikaela Shiffrin experienced a fatal crash in the protective fencing. On November 30, the American ski racer was set to sail towards her 100th World Cup win. But the Killington slopes in Vermont presented a formidable demon, ready to thwart her ambitions. In her second run in the World Cup giant slalom race, she flipped while racing on a slope and slid into the protective fencing. The result?
A fatal injury! She was rushed to the medical facility for further evaluation. Fortunately, her injuries couldn’t overwhelm her senses, as in the bed, Shiffrin displayed herself with consciousness. Rather, in her video message, the 29-year-old shared an apology note. In the snippet, she says, “I am so sorry to scare everybody, and it looks like all scans so far are clear. So thank you for the support and concern and congratulations to the winners and to my teammates for incredible performances.” Meanwhile, after her fall, Sara Hector gained the upper hand. The reigning Olympic giant slalom champion took 1:53.08 to win the race. But no one expected things to turn out this way.
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
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In fact, after the first run on November 30, Shiffrin was leading the chart. The fans started feeling the heat, expecting the American ski racer to seal her 100th victory in her phenomenal World Cup career. But in her second run, everything entered the haywire zone. She lost control over her outside ski. The steep finish pitch was in her sight. Yet the loose grip invited the accident. Furthermore, seeing Shiffrin smash into one fence and slide into another was a moment of pure tragedy for her supporters. The post-crashing incidents didn’t remain an eye-catching moment, either.
Rather, after facing multiple collisions, the legendary ski racer had to lie down on the skiing route for a few minutes. Why? The medics took time to reach the place. Fortunately, Shiffrin waved to the crowd while carried on through a sled. Now, after five hours of the incident, the two-time Olympic champion shared her updates.
In the uploaded video, Shiffrin says, “I just can’t move. I have a pretty good abrasion, and something stabbed me under her fingers. And so I just can’t move.” Meanwhile, the scene shows a medic putting gel on her left hip. She continued to assuage her fans regarding her injury. But the same injury sent her to the bed and forced her not to finish her race. After January 2018, it was the second time Mikaela Shiffrin failed to finish her race in the World Cup Giant Slalom.
Additionally, the update says that Shiffrin has already bowed out of Sunday’s event. And as the race scheduled on Mont Tremblant next week has already been postponed, the fans will have to wait a little longer to see Shiffrin in ski racing again. However, those gloomy notes couldn’t suppress the ski racer to sprinkle hope.
Mikaela Shiffrin receives heartfelt notes from her rival
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While taking the help of medics, Mikaela Shiffrin didn’t forget to shout out her teammates’ achievements. She eventually laid out, “Elizabeth’s first World Cup point is amazing. I’m so proud.” She also added, “Wait, one more thing to add because I’m just actually like seeing the results. Paul and Nina also with career bests, just very happy for you guys. Love you.” Meanwhile, on Saturday, in the top 10 list of women’s giant slalom in the Killington World Cup 2024, two USA ski racers made their places. They are Paula Moltzan (the 5th racer) and Nina O’Brien (the 6th racer). The legend was full of compliments for them, and Shiffrin also got a dose of it from her rival.
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After the race, Sara Hector faced the news outlets to share her experience. For her, it was the sixth World Cup race victory in Killington. So, naturally, she was expected to be elated. In fact, the Swedish was, but the sadness was also present behind her smile. In the interaction, she revealed it by saying, “It’s just so sad, of course, to see Mikaela crash like that and skiing so well. It breaks my heart and everybody else here.” Soon, she flaunted her hope. In the conversation, Hector said, “She [Mikaela Shiffrin] is one of the strongest skiers, obviously the strongest one in the history. So of course, she will make it back.” Well, Mikaela’s fans will pray for the same.
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