In a raw and revealing interview with WSJ. Style published February 7, 2026, alpine skiing legend Mikaela Shiffrin opens up about the hidden horrors following her devastating November 2024 crash at the Killington World Cup—revealing how the deep abdominal puncture wound left her feeling isolated, voiceless, and misunderstood.
The 30-year-old superstar, chasing her milestone 100th World Cup victory in a giant slalom race on home snow in Vermont, caught an edge in the second run, tumbled violently, and slammed into a gate. What followed was no ordinary spill: Shiffrin suffered a mysterious puncture wound to her right oblique muscle—described by her as a “stab wound”—along with severe muscle trauma. The injury penetrated multiple layers of muscle, coming perilously close (just millimeters) to her colon and potentially catastrophic internal damage.
Air-lifted off the slope and rushed to the hospital, Shiffrin avoided stitches due to infection risks. She underwent a procedure to clean the deep wound and later preventative surgery to manage fluid buildup and torn muscle near her pelvis. Recovery was grueling: sneezes, laughs, or even simple movements triggered excruciating pain, sidelining her for weeks and forcing intense rehab to reactivate her core.
But the physical toll was only part of the battle. In the aftermath, Shiffrin struggled to articulate the injury’s severity. “Nobody really understood what a puncture wound to the oblique means in ski racing,” she confessed. “Some of the frustrations that came up from not being able to ski, not feeling like I could communicate the state of my body properly… I felt like sometimes that I didn’t even have a voice at all.”
The emotional isolation hit hard—friends, family, and even medical pros outside the sport couldn’t grasp how a routine gate mishap could cause such trauma. Her mother, Eileen Shiffrin (her longtime coach), was so shaken after witnessing the ordeal that she considered pushing her daughter to retire once recovered.
Yet the ordeal forged unbreakable bonds. Shiffrin credits working through the barriers with her team for strengthening their dynamic and fueling her triumphant comeback. She returned stronger, clinching her 100th win and beyond—now boasting 108 World Cup victories (including a record-extending 71 in slalom)—and positioning herself as the heavy favorite for the overall Crystal Globe this season and Olympic gold at Milano Cortina 2026.
Heading into her fourth Olympics (with three medals from Sochi 2014 and PyeongChang 2018), Shiffrin reflects on the 2022 Beijing disappointment—where mental health struggles from expectations and self-doubt led to no podiums—as a lesson in resilience.
This latest chapter adds depth to her legacy: not just the winningest skier ever, but one who turned a near-catastrophic “stab wound” into fuel for greatness. As Milano Cortina looms, Shiffrin’s story reminds us that true champions fight battles far from the cameras—and come back louder than ever.
