Mikaela Shiffrin’s mother, Eileen Shiffrin, recently opened up about her initial reaction to her daughter’s terrifying crash during a giant slalom race at the Killington World Cup in November 2024. In an emotional segment from a new Adidas documentary titled “Mikaela Shiffrin by her mom Eileen,” she described the moment as so severe that her first instinct was to end her daughter’s racing career.
The incident occurred on November 30, 2024, when Shiffrin, then leading after the first run and chasing her milestone 100th World Cup victory on home snow in Vermont, missed a gate in the second run. She flipped, struck a gate, and slid hard into the protective netting, sustaining a deep puncture wound to her abdomen—described by some as a “stab wound”—along with significant trauma to her oblique muscles. She required immediate medical attention on the hill, was taken off in a sled, and later underwent surgery to address the injury and related complications.
Eileen Shiffrin recounted watching the crash unfold: “It was a really bad crash and you didn’t get up for a long time. So, my first thought was if she gets up, we’re not doing this anymore. She’s never going to race again.”
Despite the severity of the injury and the fear it instilled in her family, Mikaela Shiffrin showed remarkable resilience. After surgery and intensive rehabilitation, she made a strong comeback. She achieved her historic 100th World Cup win in a slalom race in Sestriere, Italy, on February 23, 2025—just months after the accident. Since then, she has continued her dominance, particularly in slalom, where she has racked up victories throughout the 2025-26 season. As of early 2026, Shiffrin stands at 107 (or more recent reports suggest up to 108) World Cup wins, solidifying her status as the most successful alpine skier in history.
The 30-year-old American has faced other challenges, including mental hurdles following the crash—such as PTSD-like symptoms that led her to withdraw from certain events—and a disappointing 2022 Beijing Olympics without a podium. Yet she has bounced back repeatedly, adding podiums and wins while preparing for the upcoming Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, where she plans a focused program in slalom and giant slalom.
In discussions, including on the “What’s the Point” podcast, Shiffrin has also shared realistic views on the Olympics, noting that the massive scale of the event—with nearly 3,000 athletes from around 100 countries—makes it impossible to optimize conditions perfectly for every competitor.
Her fiancé, Norwegian skier Aleksander Kilde, has dealt with his own long-term injury setbacks but recently returned to competition, though he has acknowledged struggles in reaching peak form.
Shiffrin’s journey highlights not only her extraordinary talent but also the unbreakable support from her mother, who has coached her since childhood and now reflects on the fears and triumphs that define one of sport’s greatest legacies.
