"After nearly 7 weeks" - Mikaela Shiffrin returns to training on a slalom for the first time since World Cup crash

Mikaela Shiffrin, widely regarded as one of the greatest alpine skiers of all time, has made a return to the slalom course after about seven weeks.

At the World Cup stage in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, on January 26, Shiffrin collided with the safety nets during her downhill run and sustained an MCL and tibiofibular ligament in her left knee and ankle.

Since then, Mikaela Shiffrin has remained out of competition and has moved to third position in the overall rankings with 1,209 points. Sweden’s Lara Gut-Behrami (1,594) and Federica Brignone (1,268) of Italy currently lead the World Cup rankings, occupying the first and second positions, respectively.

The American skier, however, has retained her top position in the slalom rankings with 630 points. Behind her are Slovakia’s Petra Vlhová (505), and Germany’s Lena Dürr (442). However, the 2022 Olympics slalom champion Vlhová can’t now go past Shiffrin as she has been out for the remaining season due to torn ligaments.

Recently, Shiffrin, the alpine skier with the most World Cup victories (95), uploaded a video on Instagram (IG) that showed glimpses of her training as she got back to the course.

She captioned the post:

“After nearly 7 weeks, I finally got back into a real slalom course🤩Some kinds of progress feel more satisfying than others…today was a satisfying day🩵”

Mikaela Shiffrin is set to return to the World Cup 2023-24 circuit this weekend as she will be competing in Åre, Sweden. The giant slalom is scheduled for March 9 (Saturday), while the slalom will take place on March 10, Sunday.

So far, Shiffrin has notched up 7 World Cup victories in the 2023-24 season, which is the second-highest in the women’s category behind Gut-Behrami (8).

Mikaela Shiffrin on being nominated for Laureus Awards and inspiring the next generation

Mikaela Shiffrin of Team United States talks with members of the media during a press conference prior to the start of the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships on February 04, 2023 in Meribel, France. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images

Mikaela Shiffrin is among the six nominees for the Laureus Sportswoman of the Year Award.

After being nominated, she said via Laureus Sport:

“There is nothing like the Laureus Awards when it comes to bringing athletes together to celebrate not just what we've all achieved, but the impact sport has globally. Laureus gives us a unique platform to interact with each other and make a difference.”

She further stated that the ultimate goal of an athlete doesn't merely involve breaking records, but also creating a legacy that motivates future generations.

“2023 was an absolutely incredible year for me - and was even more special after what I've experienced in the last few years. Since I reset the record last season, I've thought a lot about why a record is actually important to an athlete.. and I've come to the conclusion that it's not important to merely break records or reset records,” Shiffrin said.

“It's important to set the tone for the next generation and inspire them. That's why I'm honored to be nominated for the Sportswoman Award once more alongside such an inspirational group of fellow athletes,” she concluded.

The other athletes who have been nominated in this category are track athletes Shericka Jackson, Faith Kipyegon, Sha’carri Richardson, tennis sensation Iga Swiatek, and footballer Aitana Bonmatí Conca.