Olympic superstar Mikaela Shiffrin has given her fans an insight into the horrific injuries she suffered in her horror World Cup crash last week.
The Team USA skier had to be carried off the slopes in Vermont after he somersaulted and slid into protective barriers as medics rushed to her aid.
Now the 29-year-old, who is considered one of the greatest alpine skiers of all time, has lifted the lid on her ongoing recovery, sharing a series of photos with her 1.4 million followers.
“When I think back about the crash after about a week, I am incredibly grateful that the crash wasn’t worse,” she wrote. ‘It was damn close to puncturing some organs, which would have completely changed this situation for the worse.
“I am grateful for my team, everyone at both Rutland Regional Medical Center and Vail Health who cared for me, and the outpouring of love and kind words from all of you.”
She went on to explain that she was ‘impaled’ during the terrifying incident, before going on to discuss the ‘speculation as to the cause of the stab wound’.
*WARNING – GRAPHIC CONTENT BELOW*
Mikaela Shiffrin suffered a terrifying fall during her second giant slalom run at the Women’s World Cup
Shiffrin has now shared a series of gruesome photos to give her fans some more information
In one video, a nurse shows the American skier how deep the stab wound is in her side
An X-ray shows where the stab wound occurred and how deep it penetrated her body
“Some say the b-net pin, some say the bottom of the fence, some speculate about the backpack next to the b-net,” she added.
‘Of course I fully support more safety measures on the mound. But I think in my case the damage was already done before I got close to the net… and besides my own coaches and the volunteers who helped me, I would like to thank Jojo (coach for Switzerland) who was the first to get to the net came to me and helped so much.
“After watching the video several times, we believe it was the tip of my ski pole… given the size and shape of the entry point. Maybe it poked it and then I rolled over it, digging out the little cave… Hard to say really. We’re just happy that it’s limited to muscle damage.’
Shiffrin shared a photo of her bruised hips and pelvis, and even a video of the hole in her side as a nurse at the hospital tended it.
When the incident occurred, Shiffrin led after the first run of the GS and stormed after her 100th World Cup win. She was within sight of the finish line, five gates to Killington’s steep finish field, when she lost control of her outdoor ski.
Shiffrin, pictured on a summer vacation to New York City, is one of the best alpine skiers of all time
Shiffrin grimaces as a nurse pokes and prods her during her visit to the hospital in Killington
Shiffrin thanked the medical staff for their care on the mountain during the World Cup match
She hit a fence and somersaulted before sliding into another fence. The fencing slowed her speed as she came to an abrupt stop.
Shiffrin lay at the edge of the trail for a long time while the ski patrol tended to her. She was brought down the hill on a sled and waved to the cheering crowd.
The American has not suffered as many devastating injuries as many ski racers. In her 14-year career, she has had to repair only two injuries that happened on the mound: a torn medial collateral ligament and bone bruises in her right knee in December 2015 and a sprained MCL and tibiofibular ligament in her left knee after a downhill run. crashed in January 2024. Neither knee injury required surgery and both times Shiffrin was back racing within two months.
To date, she has won five overall World Cup titles, two Olympic gold medals – along with a silver – and seven world championship titles.