Last year, Mikaela Shiffrin suffered a deep puncture wound to her abdomen and severe damage to her oblique muscles.  At that time, many wondered if she would even make it to the Winter Olympics. But just two months later, she returned to World Cup racing. Even now, with the Olympics only two months away, that memory still lingers, haunting yet fueling her drive as she prepares for the biggest stage.

Recently, Shiffrin reminded the world why she’s one of skiing’s greatest. In Courchevel, France, she dominated the women’s World Cup slalom field, extending her winning streak to five consecutive slalom victories.

A few days later, she shared an update on X just weeks before the Games begin: “Back to a training block now and finally getting a chance to breathe and reflect on the last two months of racing. My slalom feels so good and I’m really excited about taking the next steps in improving my level …”

And she didn’t shy away from the mental side: “I’m in a completely different position than the end of last season after a very difficult return from injury both mentally and physically. Everyone’s journey back from injury is unique and I’m just so thankful for my team and all of the work we’ve been doing together…to get back to a place where I’m enjoying GS racing again and excited about the idea of continuing to improve in the discipline…”

In November of 2024, Mikaela Shiffrin was competing near Killington in Vermont in a World Cup giant slalom race when she fell, and one of her ski poles caused severe injury, impaling her in the abdomen.

The crash shredded her torso muscles, necessitating surgery and a long period of recovery before she was able to compete again. But she is back, and looking ahead to what lies in the future. “It’s so exciting to see all of the success of our women’s team, especially in such a big year,” she continued

Shiffrin also gave shouts out to her teammates: “Congrats to Paula for another blazing fast second run in Courchevel, and to the women’s speed team in Val d’Isere good luck tomorrow!! Now I’m going to enjoy some training time and get to know GS.:)”

In Courchevel, where Mikaela Shiffrin won again, marking her 105th World Cup victory, her teammate Paula Moltzan also impressed with the fastest second-run time, moving up the standings during the night. But has Mikaela Shiffrin qualified for the Olympics?

Mikaela Shiffrin overcame trauma to reach the Olympics

Mikaela Shiffrin has secured her spot on the U.S. Olympic alpine skiing team for the 2026 Winter Games in Milan‑Cortina, Italy. Because of her strong World Cup season, including multiple slalom wins, she’s headed to her fourth Winter Olympics following her win at the slalom race at the Copper Mountain World Cup.

But her recovery was more than just physical; it was a battle against mental demons. After her crash, Mikaela Shiffrin recovered physically, but had PTSD like symptoms: flashbacks, intrusive thoughts, and paralyzing anxiety every time she got close to high-speed giant slalom runs. “It’s just been a process to recover …and mentally, more-so than I maybe expected. I…actual PTSD symptoms,” she admitted.

Even as Shiffrin regained physical strength, she sometimes questioned whether she even wanted to race again. Trauma had made the sport that once felt normal into something scary. But with the support of a psychologist, she fought to reclaim her confidence.

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“Times when I started second-guessing myself, or was critical of myself because I felt like I was letting what happened mess with me so much. It was like: Come on, Mikaela, people have had way worse crashes than that, way worse injuries. Those people got through it…On particularly bad days, I’d question my motivation, or whether I still wanted to do this anymore. In my head, I’d be saying to myself: You know what, I kind of couldn’t care less if I ever race again.”

Physically, she could ski, but mentally, she was “blocked, unable to push as fast or as aggressively as before. Mikaela Shiffrin’s mind kept replaying the crash. And yet, here she is, ready to take the slopes again, stronger for having faced the toughest race of all: the one inside her own head.