"It doesn't feel like a big step" - Mikaela Shiffrin makes feelings known after finishing 25th on return to Giant Slalom

Mikaela Shiffrin has successfully returned to racing after suffering an injury in Vermont. She won the gold medal in the team event at the World Championship and recently shared her thoughts on attaining the 25th position in the World Cup giant slalom in Sestriere.

The World Cup giant slalom was won by three-time Olympic medalist, French ski sensation Federica Brignone, with New Zealand’s Alice Robinson being the runner-up. Shiffrin finished more than four seconds behind in 25th place. She recently expressed her thoughts on her current position and her views for the remainder of the season, as per ESPN.

“Big step today was that ... I pushed out of the gate. That's a big step from not racing at all. But sometimes, when you're used to being in the position to fight for top-10s, top-5s, podiums, it doesn't feel like such a big step as it actually is. For the rest of the season, my goal is sort of fighting for some points, so I can try to stay in the top 30 in GS, which is a very different position from the last many years when I was fighting for podiums. That's not where I am right now, and that's OK.”

The prominent skier spoke about the significance of her coming back to competitive sport after going through her recovery. Shiffrin has three Olympic medals and 15 World Championship medals to her name.

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Mikaela Shiffrin reflected on her mental struggle and process of improvement

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

Mikaela Shiffrin is a distinguished skier who has amassed multiple accolades throughout her notable career. She has 99 World Cup wins along with 18 global medals. However, the skier faced a crash last year in November and shared her thoughts regarding her mindset and improvement after suffering an injury via Eurosport.

“I need to mentally be able to process this speed. I just can't do the movements that you need to do to do a fast GS turn. By the end of the session, I'm crying and I don't understand why. It's this mental beatdown and we just have to take a breath and keep going step by step. I think it will come, but it doesn't come when you rush it,” Mikaela Shiffrin said.

Shiffrin shared that currently there is dissonance between her physical and mental fitness and that her progress will be gradual. The eight-time gold medalist from the World Championships is keeping her hopes high for her eventual improvement and acknowledged that this process cannot be rushed.