"I do not yet feel entirely myself"- Mikaela Shiffrin makes her feelings known for her teammates as she looks back on return after devastating crash

Mikaela Shiffrin expressed gratitude to her teammates as she looked back on her comeback appearance in the Giant Slalom at the Alpine Skiing World Championships in Saalbach. The American Alpine skier revealed how her teammates helped her navigate the mental aspect of the sport as she aimed to return to the slopes after a devastating injury.

Shiffrin suffered a major crash at the World Cup Killington moments before the finish line. The impact of the crash was such that an abrasion on her hip had restricted her movement. Moreover, a week after the crash, Mikaela Shiffrin had to undergo surgery to treat her deep abdominal puncture wound. After undergoing a rehabilitation program for about six weeks, the American Alpine skier decided to return to the slopes.

However, Shiffrin revealed during an interview that she would get flashbacks about her crash during training sessions which became very difficult to deal with. The 28-year-old took to Instagram to reveal how her teammates helped her navigate through the psychological symptoms involved in the return and thanked them for helping her develop a positive mindset during tough times.

"Before stepping back into the start gate of Giant Slalom, I want thank my teammates who have helped me to wrap my head around the realness and validity of the psychological symptoms involved in this return," she wrote.

"They have helped me to understand that the only way forward (aside from time) is to keep trying. Also, a special thanks to my team for their work and patience and determination that we can tackle this challenge, together🩵I do not yet feel entirely myself…but I do feel enough of myself to be here…and for now, that is enough," she added.

Mikaela Shiffrin on winning the team medal during her comeback appearance

Mikaela Shiffrin at the Audi FIS Alpine World Ski Championships - Women's Slalom - Source: Getty

Mikaela Shiffrin took to Instagram to express her thoughts after winning the team gold medal in her comeback appearance at the World Championships in Saalbach. The American athlete had teamed up with fellow Team USA skier Breezy Johnson to participate in the newly introduced Team combined event.

Shiffrin reflected on her journey from an injury to successfully registering a podium-finishing performance.

"It seems impossible to have made it this far, this quickly. But here we are…returning to competition essentially during World Championships after 10 weeks of injury. 9 weeks post-surgery, 8 weeks after being laid up in bed with a JP Drain sticking out of my side with a mostly useless oblique," she wrote.

The American Alpine skier expressed how the World Championship victory in the team combined event was 'miraculous' for her. Moreover, Shiffrin revealed how she was inspired by the performances at the World Championships and hoped to continue her momentum in the upcoming races of the season.