"What a funny thing" - Mikaela Shiffrin on returning to Cortina d'Ampezzo months after World Cup crash

Legendary skier Mikaela Shiffrin recently visited Cortina d'Ampezzo within two months of her devastating crash in Italy.

On January 26 this year, Shiffrin encountered a disastrous crash in a World Cup downhill race. The American Alpine skier was gliding down the snowy hills when she lost control in an attempt to jump and landed harshly into the safety nets on the Tofana Schuss in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy.

Shiffrin was airlifted to a clinic in Cortina after she was floored for around 10 minutes while the medical personnel tended to her. The skier had to undergo a recovery process, compelling her to remain dormant for the next 11 races.

Recently, the 29-year-old visited the crash site along with Slovenian Alpine Skier, Tina Maze. Both were seen effortlessly cruising down the icy slopes. Shiffrin took to her social media to inform her fans about the visit and shared an inspiring message.

"A day for the soul," she wrote. "What a funny thing to return to the scene of the crash, and feel totally at peace while freeskiing right past it. We live, we crash, we learn, we grow, and hopefully don’t allow fear to dictate how we experience the things we love to do. Let it be no more, and no less than what it really is-a part of the process."

Further, she also extended her gratitude towards Maze, writing:

"Tinamaze83 thank you for showing us a side of @cortinadolomiti that we don’t usually see at the races. I think I’ll be back again, and next time I’m paying for lunch🤣"

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Mikaela Shiffrin reclaims the snowy peaks following her injury

Mikaela Shiffrin wins the globe in the overall standings during the Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup Finals Women's Slalom in Saalbach Austria.

Mikaela Shiffrin cemented her legacy further after hitting the slopes again in Are and Saalbach within only two months of the serious incident.

The crash resulted in an MCL and tibiofibular ligament sprain in the American's left knee and ankle, requiring a six-week recovery period. After recovery, she first competed in the Alpine Skiing FIS World Cup in Are, Sweden, held on March 9 and 10, 2024.

There, Shiffrin secured her eighth slalom season title, registering an impressive time of 49.94 seconds in the first run. After her victory in Are, she clinched her second win post-recovery at the Women's World Cup Slalom on March 16, 2024, in Saalbach, Austria, recording a time of 1:53.22 to end her 2023-24 season with nine wins from 21 races.