It is the alpine winter of falls and serious injuries. The season has already ended for some top drivers in all disciplines. Mikaela Shiffrin is also currently sidelined with a knee injury. The World Cup in Soldeu comes too early for them. The overall World Cup leader is once again heavily criticizing the World Cup calendar.
Mikaela Shiffrin was comparatively lucky. The exceptional American rider “only” suffered a torn medial ligament in her knee from her crash in Cortina d’Ampezzo after she was no longer able to perform. Some of her competitors had it worse. This is one of the reasons why the exceptional athlete once again complains about the excessive strain caused by the World Cup calendar.
Requirements for top 15 athletes “difficult to put into words”
The leader in the overall World Cup spoke out in a detailed post on Instagram. The reason was the serious injury of fellow competitor Sofia Goggia. The Italian suffered a broken shin during training. The next serious injury to a top athlete this winter.
Of course, injuries are part of skiing, says Shiffrin. Every athlete takes a risk when she hits the slopes. But for her it is clear: “It is quite difficult to put into words how high the current demands are for top 15 athletes who compete in various disciplines and regularly reach the podium“Shiffrin wrote.
“It’s just too much”
The tight racing calendar is a recurring issue among athletes – including Shiffrin. Media appointments and honors after the races, which can last well into the afternoon, as well as an evening program left little time for relaxation, the best skier of all time gives an insight into the everyday life of the top athletes. “It’s just too much“, Shiffrin becomes clear and adds: “I strongly believe that fatigue plays a large role in recent injuries, including mine.“
More top athletes injured
With her statement she agreed with her friend Aleksander Aamodt Kilde. The Norwegian was similarly critical about the excessive stress. After his serious fall in Wengen, in which he sustained a deep flesh wound in his calf, his season has already ended prematurely. The same applies to Patra Vlhova. In the slalom, Shiffrin’s competitor can no longer intervene in the race for the small crystal ball. The Slovakian is out for the rest of the season with a torn cruciate ligament.
Shiffrin will not start in Soldeu
Mikaela Shiffrin will also not be competing at the World Cup in Soldeu yet. Although she is feeling better day by day, she will not return to Andorra yet. “My knee can’t handle this amount of racing yet.“You need time to recover.”The fact that everything structurally intact is super positive. But I have to be patient.”