Mikaela Shiffrin gives the all-clear after her serious fall in the Cortina downhill, but has to accept a setback in the fight for the overall World Cup.
When Mikaela Shiffrin landed in the safety net on the descent from Cortina d’Ampezzo on Friday and had to be transported to the hospital by rescue helicopter after minutes of treatment, the worst was feared. But in the evening there was a slight all-clear; the American was probably lucky in misfortune.
The US Ski Association published a WhatsApp screenshot from Shiffrin to her teammates. “Everything is okay,” wrote the overall World Cup leader. At the Cortina hospital, an initial diagnosis revealed that the anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments were intact. According to ORF information, Shiffrin has to take a break for one to two weeks with an inner ligament injury.
Mikaela Shiffin misses at least three races. Reuters / Leonhard Foeger
She is currently in a lot of pain, Shiffrin wrote on Instagram on Friday evening. She will share more information as soon as she knows more. “I need a little time to process this with my team and see how I feel in the next few days,” shared the xx-year-old. However, one thing is already certain: “I won’t be skiing for the rest of the weekend (there are two more speed races in Cortina on Saturday and Sunday) or in Kronplatz (a giant slalom). Beyond that, it’s very hard to say right now.”
Great opportunity for Lara Gut-Behrami
This means that the overall World Cup leader will miss at least three races. Three races in which Lara Gut-Behrami, her first pursuer since Friday, could theoretically score full points. The Swiss is currently 340 points behind Shiffrin.
For Corinne Suter, the season is over after the injury she sustained on Friday. The Swiss woman suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament and a meniscus injury.
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