After initially worrying she might not compete this season, Mikaela Shiffrin is set to return.

Shiffrin will join the World Cup competition next Thursday in Courchevel, France, just under nine weeks after sustaining an abdominal puncture and tearing her abdominal muscles in a crash during a giant slalom event in Killington, Vermont. The slalom race marks the final technical competition prior to the world championships, scheduled for February 4-16 in Saalbach, Austria.

Her next win will mark her 100th career victory. She has previously triumphed seven times in Courchevel, including two slalom victories.

Shiffrin shared her decision to return on Thursday morning through a video showcasing her workouts in the gym and on the slopes. The final image read, “Courchevel 1/30  See you soon.”

“It was uncertain if I could make a comeback this season. But I’ve been able to get back on the snow and do some training over the past week,” Shiffrin mentioned during an interview on the TODAY show.

While Shiffrin acknowledged that she isn’t fully recovered and may feel the impacts of her injury throughout the year, she confirmed she is no longer in pain and could “ski with intensity” during GS training on Monday, which has boosted her confidence ahead of her return to racing.

“I was anxious about how returning to GS would feel since my injury occurred while competing in it, but it felt pretty good,” she explained. “The next phase is to race. So, while the recovery isn’t completely finished, I’m strong enough to take my place at the start gate.”

After achieving two victories in her first three races this year, there were high hopes that Shiffrin would secure her 100th win in Killington, a venue she loves and close to her former school, Burke Mountain Academy. Everything seemed to be progressing well after her first run in the giant slalom, where she led comfortably over Sweden’s Sara Hector.

However, just before the finish line of her second run, Shiffrin lost her edge. She crashed into one gate and then flipped into another before finally coming to a stop in the safety net. It took about 20 minutes for her to be transported down the hill on a sled.

Describing her injury, Shiffrin said, “Regarding the muscle trauma, there’s a puncture, and whatever caused it stirred up my obliques, tearing a cavern into them. That’s what’s creating the bleeding, inflammation, and discomfort.” In a December 4 update, Shiffrin also voiced concern about possible damage to her colon, given the proximity of the puncture. Fortunately, tests conducted after she returned home to Colorado confirmed it was okay.

“Any symptoms would have appeared sooner, so it’s a relief to have that reassurance,” she stated.

On December 12, she underwent another surgery to clean the wound.

At the time of her accident, she anticipated “several weeks” before being ready to race again. She skipped the slalom event in Killington the following day, along with the World Cup stop in Beaver Creek on December 14-15, marking the first time women raced on the iconic Birds of Prey course.

She has missed a total of six slalom and giant slalom World Cup races this year and is probably out of contention for the overall title. Currently, she stands 16th in the overall rankings and ninth in slalom.

Nonetheless, being able to compete again feels like a victory, although she has tried to manage her expectations.

“I haven’t skied in the past seven weeks,” she remarked. “I’m returning to face the best athletes in the world, who are in top form, while I’m coming back from a significant injury to my oblique.”