Mikaela Shiffrin has revealed that she suffered knee ligament damage and bone bruising after crashing while practicing ahead of the FIS Alpine World Cup giant slalom event in Are on Saturday.
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“She basically flipped over into the net”, Shiffrin’s manager Kilian Albrecht told The Associated Press as Shiffrin missed the race.
The U.S. Ski Team did not immediately issue a statement on Shiffrin’s status, as per team policy to await full injury details.
“I like skiing at Are and I have had some good results here”, the 31-year-old Vonn said recalling that she won a giant slalom in similar fashion in March 2012.
The 20-year-old Shiffrin won gold in the slalom at the 2014 Sochi Games in Russian Federation and the American also took out the slalom at the past two world championships.
Shiffrin, who was hot favorite to win Sunday’s slalom event in Are after taking the opening two slalom events of the season, was undergoing an MRI scan to determine the extent of a worrying injury.
The remaining races for this year consist of one downhill, one super-combined, three giants and two slaloms.
Lindsey Vonn of the U.S in action during the first run of the…
Austria’s Eva-Maria Brem came second and discipline leader Federica Brignone of Italy was third, 0.35 seconds back. Visibility was also a factor, with the artificial lights turned on to aid skiers.
“I was watching some video from that win last night and I have a lot of confidence coming into this race from Lake Louise”, Vonn said.
Swede Sara Hector’s diagnosis following a dicey recovery that forced her to pull out of the Are GS mid-run and ride in a sled down the hill is less fortunate.
“When I was a kid I always trained under the lights after school”, Vonn said.
Vonn went on to win in dominant fashion, her first GS win since January of 2013 and only the fourth of her career.
“Ski racing needs Mikaela and Sara, and we can’t afford to lose any more athletes”.
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“I feel really good on my skis and balanced”. I think I may have given away too much time there, but still I was attacking the whole time trying to arc and I was fast.
