Two of alpine skiing’s biggest American stars, Mikaela Shiffrin and Lindsey Vonn, have reached out with messages of support to Switzerland’s Michelle Gisin following a frightening crash during downhill training in St. Moritz on Thursday, December 11, 2025.
The two-time Olympic champion lost control during her second training run, slamming into the safety netting at over 110 km/h. Gisin was airlifted from the course and initial medical evaluations revealed injuries to her right wrist, left knee, and cervical spine. She has since been transferred to the specialized Hirslanden Clinic in Zurich for further treatment of the neck injury.
The International Ski Federation (FIS Alpine) shared the update on Instagram, where both Shiffrin and Vonn quickly left heartfelt comments:
Lindsey Vonn: “Sending lots of love 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻”
Mikaela Shiffrin: “❤️🩹❤️🩹❤️🩹 thinking of you”
The show of solidarity carries extra weight given Shiffrin’s own recent history with serious crashes. Just over a year ago, on November 30, 2024, Shiffrin suffered a dramatic fall at the Killington World Cup giant slalom that left her with a deep abdominal puncture wound requiring surgery and a lengthy rehabilitation period. During that recovery, she openly discussed moments of doubt about returning to the sport at all.
Shiffrin has since made a triumphant comeback, most recently claiming her landmark 104th World Cup victory in giant slalom at Copper Mountain on November 30, 2025.
The entire ski racing community is now hoping for a similarly strong recovery for Michelle Gisin as she begins treatment in Zurich.
