If you’re an alpine skier, you know that injuries come with the territory, whether you’re a rookie or a pro, and Mikaela Shiffrin’s no exception. Just two weeks back, Shiffrin was racing towards her 100th World Cup victory in Killington, Vt., when things took a turn. While chasing that milestone, she caught an edge on her outside ski and, in a split second, found herself rolling into the b-net. The impact left her with a puncture wound. It was a tough break, especially since it meant missing her 100th win, but let’s not forget this isn’t her first run-in with injuries. Shiffrin’s no stranger to setbacks!

Back in 2023, Mikaela Shiffrin had a pretty intense crash during the giant slalom at the Stifel Killington Cup in Vermont. She hit two gates and then smashed into a fence, which resulted in a puncture wound in her abdomen. It was a crazy moment, and while she was really shaken up, luckily, her bones and internal organs were fine. Still, a puncture wound in her side was no small thing, and the injury was pretty painful.

She went to the hospital after the crash, and luckily, she has no broken bones and no severe injury to her ligaments. Yet it was evident that it would still require her some time to heal completely. But when you are on top of the world, how do you deal with something like this in your prime ‘golden years’ of your career? Well, Shiffrin has recently shared her experiences on how she deals with these challenges!

On December 8th, Mikaela Shiffrin had an interview with ServusTV On Sport on their YouTube channel about the struggle of getting back into the game mentally and physically after an injury. She also told the viewers that it is quite hard to keep on following the sport when you can’t really participate yourself, saying, “It’s challenging to see the thing that you do and kind of know what it feels like, your only purpose in life at times. It’s challenging to see that continue when you can’t be part of it.”

According to Mikaela Shiffrin, the biggest issue of training is not only the body that is strained but the daily nuisances one has to endure. “One of the hardest things, aside from being unable to train, is being unable to, you know, if you’re on crutches or whatever, you can’t even make your own dinner. Those kinds of things are really frustrating; being unable to walk normally is very frustrating.”

It seems Shiffrin is a strong believer in never giving up, and while injuries have been a part of Shiffrin’s career, that hasn’t stopped her from returning. However, the question now comes: When will she come back after her recent injury?

Mikaela Shiffrin’s near miss on her 100th World Cup victory but still is lucky

There has been much speculation about what caused the wound ever since the news got out. Shiffrin and her team began research in it under a campaign dubbed the ‘clean hill initiative’ in a bid to make racing safer for the athletes. Some assumed the puncture could have been made by the b-net pin or its base, while Shiffrin, after watching the crash video, thinks that it was the tip of her own ski pole. She also said that the pole penetrated her muscle, and when she rolled over it, it was most likely to have shifted to a small ‘cavern.’ Luckily it was not something more severe; at least the muscles and tendons were the only parts that got damaged.

Despite the severe internal bleeding from the tear, Mikaela Shiffrin seemed to be recovering. In under a week, she was able to walk outside with the help of a wound vac to help her maintain the wound. She is now content with cheering for her teammates and intends to get back on the slopes when she is ready. She remains unclear on when she will return, but she plans to achieve her 100th World Cup victory later in the year. She also kept her fans updated by posting photos of the injury on her social media.