Mikaela Shiffrin makes her comeback to the World Cup circuit today. Here’s what you need to know.
Mikaela Shiffrin is back on the World Cup circuit.
Nearly nine weeks after sustaining a significant injury in Killington, Vermont, which resulted in a serious gash in her oblique muscles, the record-holder for the most World Cup victories is set to compete in a slalom event on Thursday in Courchevel, France. This event serves as the last World Cup race before the world championships taking place from February 4 to 16 in Saalbach, Austria.
When Shiffrin claims her next World Cup win, it will mark her 100th victory, a milestone which is unlikely to be surpassed. However, upon announcing her return last week, she noted that she is not fully recovered and will continue to experience “remnants” of her injury throughout the remainder of the season.
“But it’s not painful. My muscles are functioning again. I’ve regained much of my strength. I feel really good physically,” Shiffrin shared in an interview on the TODAY Show. ” (But) I haven’t really been skiing (since Killington). I’m re-entering competitions alongside the best athletes in the world, and I’m trying to compete with them while coming back from a significant injury.”
Here’s what you should know about Shiffrin’s return:
When will Mikaela Shiffrin be racing?
Shiffrin will return to the World Cup on Thursday, participating in a night slalom race in Courchevel, France.
In slalom races, there are two runs, with the first run starting at 11 a.m. Eastern time (5 p.m. in France), followed by the second run at 2 p.m. Eastern (8 p.m. in France). Shiffrin will compete in the sixth position for the first run — typically, the fastest skiers go first — so if you want to catch her live, tune in by 11:05 a.m.
For the second run, skiers compete in the reverse order of their finish in the first run, meaning Shiffrin is likely to go last. To catch all the action, make sure to start the stream by 2:30 p.m.
Where can I watch?
The race will be available for streaming on skiandsnowboard.live in the United States.
How has Shiffrin performed this season?
So far, quite well! Until her unfortunate accident.
Shiffrin had celebrated victories in two out of her three initial races, both in slalom events. The second win marked her 99th World Cup victory, further extending her record, and positioned her as a strong contender for both the overall title and the slalom championship.
However, her nearly nine-week absence has caused her to fall significantly in the rankings, and she is currently 18th overall and 9th in the slalom standings.