'Thankful It's Not Worse', Says Shiffrin After Cortina Crash

Cortina d'Ampezzo, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 27th Jan, 2024) American ski star Mikaela Shiffrin crashed heavily in Friday's opening downhill race at the Italian resort of Cortina d'Ampezzo, suffering a left leg injury but admitting she was "thankful it's not worse".

Overall World Cup leader Shiffrin, 28, lost balance off a jump before one of the toughest turns on the testing Olympia delle Tofane course, sliding into the side netting.

She remained prone until the arrival of the medical team, after which she got to her feet, unable to put weight on her left leg, leaving the piste with the aid of her poles.

The race was interrupted for more than 20 minutes as Shiffrin was eventually evacuated by helicopter.

It was just Shiffrin's second downhill race of the season.

"At this point I'm just taking it day by day, and I'll share more information or updates as I know more. Very thankful it's not worse, but I'm pretty sore at the moment," Shiffrin wrote on X, posting a photo of herself with her left leg heavily strapped.

"I won't be skiing the rest of this weekend and I won't be skiing in Kronplatz (next Tuesday). Beyond that, it's quite hard to say right now.

"Need a little time to process with my team and see how everything is feeling in the coming days.

"

The five-time overall World Cup winner has a record 95 victories to her name.

She has already won seven World Cup events this season, including her previous downhill in St Moritz in December.

"Mikaela Shiffrin was taken by ambulance to the clinic in Cortina and is being evaluated for a left leg injury," the US ski team said.

"Initial analysis shows the ACL and PCL seem intact," it added in reference to her anterior and posterior cruciate knee ligaments.

Meanwhile, Switzerland's Corinne Suter, the 2022 Olympic downhill champion, was later Friday ruled out of the rest of the season after injuring her left knee also on the first descent at Cortina.

"Examinations carried out revealed a tear of the anterior cruciate ligament, as well as a lesion of the meniscus of the left knee," the Swiss federation said.

"Corinne will be operated on in the morning. If recovery goes as planned, she will be able to resume competition normally next winter."

The 29-year-old Suter was injured while landing a jump not far from where Shiffrin fell heavily.

Suter was crowned downhill world champion in 2021 on the same course.

This season her best result was eighth place in the super-G at St-Moritz.