For ski stars Mikaela Shiffrin and Petra Vlhova, it's the expected race against time until the start of the World Championships in Saalbach-Hinterglemm on February 4.
15.01.2025, 11:32
15.01.2025, 13:00
SDA
There are big question marks over Shiffrin's start in particular after her disastrous fall at the end of November. There is no comeback timetable, a spokeswoman for the American told the Austrian news agency APA. The situation is being reassessed day by day. "The World Championships is the goal," said Atomic race director Christian Höflehner on the sidelines of the World Cup slalom in Flachau. Shiffrin is doing various exercises on the piste again. "But in terms of racing, she is not training yet. It was and is difficult to calculate with this injury because you have little experience."
The five-time overall World Cup winner crashed in her home race, the giant slalom at the end of November in Killington, Vermont, on her way to her 100th World Cup victory. She suffered a stab wound in her stomach and muscle damage in the pelvic area, probably caused by her ski pole. As her recovery did not initially go as hoped, the 29-year-old had to undergo another operation in mid-December.
Vlhova wants to return soon
The timetable for Shiffrin's long-term rival Petra Vlhova is more concrete. According to local media, the Slovakian is set to return to race training at the end of January. A year ago, the Olympic slalom champion suffered a cruciate and medial ligament tear in her right knee in her home race in Jasna. Following complications with the cartilage, she has recently been working hard to rebuild muscle substance around the knee.
The giant slalom in Kronplatz (January 21) and the slalom in Courchevel (January 30) offer the two convalescents two more chances to make their comeback before the big event. The giant slalom (February 13) and slalom (February 15) in Saalbach are still a month away.
