American ski racer Mikaela Shiffrin will miss this weekend's giant slalom and slalom races in Andorra to allow time for her knee to repair.
Shiffrin, who is aiming for her sixth overall World Cup title this season, was injured in a fall during a downhill event in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, about two weeks ago. He avoided major damage to his left knee, but suffered an MCL sprain associated with a sprain of his tibiofibular ligament, he said. She added that she continues to recover from the bone bruise she sustained earlier in the season.
The 28-year-old Colorado native has no plans to return, but he's in no rush to do so. She is focused on a rehabilitation program to strengthen her knee. Shiffrin currently leads the overall standings with 95 points over Switzerland's Lara Gut-Behrami, but that gap could be reversed this weekend.
“I really want to do this right,” Shiffrin said Wednesday of her recovery. “Of course, there is a lot at stake this season and I feel that way too. But I also feel that there are a lot of opportunities in the next few seasons. There are a lot of important races in the next few seasons, so I want to be firing on all cylinders towards this goal.
“It's very important to me to get this process right. And if I can get back to racing, I'll be strong and sure to race.”
Shiffrin, who has a record 95 World Cup wins, crashed into a safety net at high speed on January 26 on the course used for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics.
This year has been an injury-plagued year for some of the top players on the World Cup circuit. Italian downhill ski racer Sofia Goggia fell during training earlier this week, fracturing two bones in her right foot, ending her season. Other injured racers include Petra Vlhova, Alexis Pinturault, Colin Suter and Shiffrin's partner, Norwegian legend Alexander Ahmot Kilde.
Kilde recently called for improved World Cup race day schedules to protect athletes, a sentiment echoed by Shiffrin in an Instagram post Wednesday.
“Yes, this is a ski race, and yes, we choose to take risks every time we push out of the starting gate,” Shiffrin wrote. “That being said, the number of injuries this year has been staggering (especially among top athletes). A lot has been said about this, but more consideration should be given to what is required of top athletes. I completely agree with that statement…both from a race calendar perspective and from an evening program schedule.
“I absolutely believe that fatigue at this point in the season has contributed to the injuries that have occurred recently, including my own injury.”
Shiffrin vowed to recover at a steady pace.
“Honestly, it's going to depend a lot on how my knee goes and how it responds to the higher workload and schedule,” Shiffrin said.
She said she is not yet at the stage where she can withstand the forces of a slalom rotation. She currently leads the event with 125 points ahead of the injured Vlois and 228 points ahead of Lena Duer.
“The pain gets worse each day,” Shiffrin said. “My movements are going to be a little more solid, smooth and consistent. I’m just trying to manage it all together and load it up as much as I can, but not overload it. ”
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