Mikaela Shiffrin is experiencing fewer flashbacks to her November crash during giant slalom training, marking a significant step forward in her recovery from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the discipline.
While other competitors take part in the giant slalom at the World Cup finals in Sun Valley on Tuesday, Shiffrin will focus on slalom training. It will be her only event at the weeklong finals, as she did not qualify for the giant slalom.
The two-time Olympic champion revealed last month that she has been dealing with PTSD since her crash on November 30 in Killington, Vermont. During the accident, she suffered a puncture wound that severely injured her oblique muscles.
Shiffrin opted out of the giant slalom at the world championships and has only competed in the event three times since, with her best finish being 25th place. However, she is gradually regaining speed in training, working to rebuild her confidence in the event, which demands both speed and technical precision.
“Training is going really well, and it’s actually super positive,” Shiffrin told The Associated Press on Monday while signing autographs for fans. “I’m just trying to regain the confidence I had in Killington before the crash. That would be a big goal.”
On the day of her crash, Shiffrin had been leading after the first run, chasing her 100th World Cup victory. With the finish line in sight on her second run, she lost an edge, crashed into a gate, and flipped head over skis before colliding with another gate and landing in the safety fencing. The cause of the puncture wound remains unclear.
To help her return to competition in giant slalom, Shiffrin has been working with a psychologist. Before the world championships, she exhibited most of the symptoms of PTSD, but by the time she raced in Are, Sweden, the symptoms had significantly decreased.
“My processing speed and the connection between my mind and body have improved a lot,” Shiffrin explained. “But occasionally, I still get intrusive thoughts or flashbacks of the crash and the pain, especially in the start gate or when I get fatigued. It’s an intense reaction.
“But it happens much less frequently now. Exposure to what’s uncomfortable has been really helpful.”
After her slalom training on Tuesday, Shiffrin will watch New Zealand’s Alice Robinson and Italy’s Federica Brignone battle for the giant slalom crystal globe.
At 30 years old, Shiffrin is starting to see glimpses of her former GS form return. A 2018 Olympic gold medalist in the event, she has won 22 of her 100 career World Cup races in giant slalom.
“Some of my turns are competitive with the fastest in the world,” she said ahead of her slalom race on Thursday. “But putting it all together for a full GS run takes time and repetition. This summer, we’ll need to get in more training on long courses, with varied setups and conditions. I have no doubt I can reach a competitive level again.
“I already see a lot of my skiing coming back.”
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