She was just seconds away from setting a prestigious new record, but ended up in hospital. Alpine ski champion Mikaela Shiffrin suffers from “severe muscle injury” and a wound “deep” on the right side of the abdomen after his fall on Saturday during the second round of the World Cup giant slalom in Killington (Vermont, United States), the American team reported on Sunday.
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“She didn’t have any stitches. We cannot suture the wound because it is too deep and there is a risk of infection”said Courtney Harkins, communications director for US Ski, the American ski federation. During medical examinations carried out after Shiffrin's fall, no ligament damage was noted and the bones and internal organs appeared to be in good condition, the source added.
The 29-year-old skier, who was on her way to her hundredth World Cup victory after winning the first round, made a mistake which sent her to the ground, head forward. She then crashed into two doors and was thrown into the safety nets.
“In shock”
After remaining on the ground for several seconds, Mikaela Shiffrin went down the track lying on a stretcher because she “was in shock, completely unable to move and feared trauma to internal organs”a souligné Courtney Harkins.
The double Olympic champion, seven-time world champion and five-time winner of the general classification, hoped to be able to encourage her partners from the side of the track on Sunday during the second race of the weekend. But “she can’t walk very well at the moment” and must therefore refrain from going to the site. The length of his recovery remains to be determined, US Ski said.
Holder of the absolute record for World Cup victories since the start of 2023, ahead of Swede Ingemar Stenmark (86), Shiffrin had already won twice in three races this season.
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