On the hunt for her 100th World Cup victory, Mikaela Shiffrin crashed heavily at her home race in Killington at the end of November. Now the US-American had to undergo an "unexpected" operation.
Everything was set for her home event in the US state of Vermont: local heroine Mikaela Shiffrin wanted to break the magic mark of 100 World Cup victories in front of a raucous home crowd at the end of November. The 29-year-old took a commanding lead after the first run, and Shiffrin still had a lead of just under two tenths at the second intermediate time in the second run.
However, the decisive mistake followed in the steep slope, which caused her to crash comparatively hard into the safety net at the edge of the piste - drama instead of an anniversary victory. The high-flyer had to be transported away on a rescue sled.
Shortly after the race, Shiffrin reported from hospital via Instagram: "I have a large abrasion and something has impaled me." Although no internal organs were injured, the stab wound on the right side of her abdomen could not be stitched because it was too deep and there was a risk of infection, the US Ski Association announced after the accident.
Return delayed
The recovery apparently did not go as planned. Due to complications with her abdominal injury, she had to undergo surgery "unexpectedly" on Thursday evening, she wrote on Instagram.
According to the 29-year-old, she had felt unwell and explained: "It turned out that I had a small cavity that was deeper than the wound tract, filled with old hematomas and not draining properly."
The partner of ski star Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, who himself was injured for a long time and is only aiming for a comeback next season, promises to provide more information when she receives news.
It is currently unclear how long Shiffrin will be out of action. After her accident, she expected to be out for "several weeks". The complications are likely to delay her return.
