Mikaela Shiffrin has withdrawn from defending her giant slalom title at the Alpine skiing world championships due to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following a crash in November. The American skier, who holds a record 99 World Cup wins, suffered severe trauma to her oblique muscles and was “a millimeter from pretty catastrophic” when she fell in Killington, Vermont.
Shiffrin has been dealing with PTSD-like symptoms since the crash, including mental blockages and a struggle to regain speed and power. She had hoped to overcome these challenges by the time she arrived in Europe for training, but now says she is not ready to compete at her best level.
Instead, Shiffrin will enter the team combined event, pairing with Breezy Johnson, who won gold in downhill last season. The combined event involves one skier competing in a downhill run and another in a slalom run, with their times added up to determine the final results.
Shiffrin has expressed her disappointment at not being able to defend her title, but says she feels “good enough” in slalom and is looking forward to racing in that event. She also plans to return to giant slalom on the World Cup circuit later this month, hoping to recover from her current struggles and regain her form.
With one more win needed to reach a record-extending 100 World Cup victories, Shiffrin’s withdrawal has left fans wondering what could have been. However, she remains focused on her recovery and is determined to get back to competing at the highest level.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/mikaela-shiffrin-ptsd-skiing-world-championships-58c85737a5dc1263bd41e4679bcdb781