Mikaela Shiffrin, no giant at World Championships: ‘I’m scared’

No SuperG and Downhill in World Cup

Mikaela Shiffrin is not feeling it. The American è is grappling with a mental block that prevents her from doing what she loves best, which is skiing to the best of her ability. As a result, here is the decision to forgo the giant slalom event scheduled for Thursday at the World Championships in Saalbach.

The disastrous fall in the late November race in Killington left a big mark on the American. Although she has recovered physically (two months of recovery), Mikaela Shiffrin has not yet fully overcome that injury, so much so that she does not yet feel ready to take risks.

"I put all my energy into getting my giant back in shape to start my World Championships on Thursday.  The long story è… I am not there. I am currently facing some mental hurdles to get back starting in the giant with the intensity needed for the races", the words in her social post.

"Honestly, I did not expect to experience so much mental and post-traumatic problems in giant slalom because of my injury in Killington. As always, I tried to dive into the challenge, hoping to start again at the World Championships. I imagined that my passion and desire to compete would make me overcome mental barriers. Maybe it will be like that; more on that later, but I’m not there yet. È it was heartbreaking to come to terms with how much fear I have in a discipline that I loved so much just 2 months ago", the quip from the American who, ironically, è reigning world giant slalom champion.