CORTINA D’AMPEZZO – CORTINA D’Mikaela Shiffrin is back on snow and skiing regularly again at home in Colorado. When she’ll return to racing after an unusual puncture wound to her side remains “a moving target” that probably won’t be figured out for another week to 10 days, U.S. Ski Team head coach Paul Kristofic said.
Shiffrin crashed on Nov. 30 as she was chasing her record-extending 100th World Cup win in a giant slalom in Killington, Vermont, and was stabbed by something as she slid down the mountain. A couple of weeks later, she had abdominal surgery to clean out her puncture wound.
But she indicated on social media that she returned to skiing about a week ago.
“Things are moving along,” Kristofic told The Associated Press at the World Cup races in Cortina late Thursday. “It’s an injury I don’t think many people have ever dealt with. So it’s been complicated in a way to ensure she’s actually physically ready during the healing process and improving that way because of the nature of the injury.”
Shiffrin’s team, led by her personal head coach Karin Harjo, is in Colorado with her. Her team also includes physical therapist Regan Dewhirst, who has been essential lately.
“She’s been working with Regan every day since the injury happened,” Kristofic said. “Regan’s been with her every single day.”
It’s the second consecutive season that Shiffrin has had a major crash, having hit the safety netting at high speed during a downhill in Cortina a year ago, spraining the MCL and tibiofibular ligaments in her left knee. She returned after 1 ½ months out and competed at two stops at the end of last season.
So when might she return this time?
“It’s a bit of a question mark on how quickly she can come up to World Cup level intensity,” Kristofic said. “So that remains to be seen. But I can guarantee you they’ll do everything they can to get ready properly in a reasonable amount of time.
There is no date set for a return to the racing scene in Europe.
“It’s a moving target,” Kristofic said. “The intent is to try to get ready for racing. But being very clear and precise with the steps along the way without shortcuts. Really just do everything right and get her to a point where she’s confident enough to kick out of the start.”
The women’s giant slalom and slalom at the upcoming world championships in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria, are less than a month away on Feb. 13 and 15.
Will Shiffrin make it to Saalbach?
“It’s difficult to say because we’re very early, early days back on snow,” Kristofic said. “We’ll probably know more in a week to 10 days to see how things are going.”
Shiffrin also likely wants to compete on home snow at the World Cup finals in Sun Valley, Idaho, at the end of March.
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