KILLINGTON — For the eighth time the women’s Audi FIS Ski World Cup came to Killington Resort over Thanksgiving weekend. The first day of racing, a Giant Slalom on Saturday, was marked by a combination of jubilation and heartbreak as U.S. Ski team members Nina O’Brien and Paula Moltzan posted their best World Cup Giant Slalom finishes, fifth and sixth respectively, while Mikaela Shiffrin, on track for her record-extending 100th World Cup victory, suffered a dramatic crash near the finish that took her out of contention for the rest of the weekend’s events.

Before the crash, the raucous crowd of 21,500 fans were all on their feet cheering loudly, ringing bells and jumping up and down as Shiffrin (who had posted a sizable lead after her first run and was the final skier down the course Saturday) began with gusto. When she crested the final pitch and came into view, the crowd at the finish grew even louder, cheering what looked like it certainly would be her 100th World Cup win. She was within seconds of that victory when all hopes were dashed — thrills turning to chills of concern — as she careened off course busting through two gates and sliding into the netting in spectacular fashion. The crowd was immediately silent and eerily still as they waited several minutes for any reassuring sign that Shiffrin was ok.

The site of the crash was too far up the hill for anyone at the base area to make out what was happening. Shiffrin was eventually put on a ski patrol sled and taken by ambulance to Rutland Regional Medical Center where she was evaluated.

“She asked for the sled because she ‘was in shock, entirely unable to move, and worried about internal organ trauma’,” Courtney Harkins, from the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team posted to the media group chat. “There was no ligament damage that they have assessed — bones and internal organs look ok — There is a puncture wound into the right side of her abdomen and severe muscle trauma. She did not get stitches. They can’t stitch the puncture wound because it’s too deep and there’s a risk of infection. She is pretty sore,” Harkins wrote.

Shiffrin posted a video on Instagram Saturday evening from the hospital reassuring her fans that she’d be ok and congratulating her teammates. “Not really too much cause for concern at this point… I just can’t move, I have a pretty good abrasion on my hip,” Shiffrin said. “Something stabbed me but all scans so far have come back clear. I’m so sorry to scare everybody… thank you for your support and concern and congrats to the winners and my teammates for their incredible performances,” Shiffrin said, adding that she’s still not sure what exactly it was that punctured her.

In a subsequent video, Shiffrin described the injury more bluntly: “I have a stab wound, basically… I was impaled.”

When asked when her estimated return to skiing may be, Shiffrin said it’d be multiple weeks and it was unlikely she’d race Beaver Creek, Dec. 14-15. A pair of earlier Giant Slalom races schedule for Tremblant, Canada, Dec. 7-8 were canceled due to lack of snow.

U.S. SKI Team leader Mikaela Shiffrin caught an edge toward the bottom of the course at Saturday’s World Cup in Killington. She crashed through two gates and into the safety netting, sending the 20,000 spectators into a hushed silence as she was eventually taken off the course in a patrol sled. Shiffrin’s injuries, which involved a puncture wound to her side and severe muscle trauma, took her out of the slalom the next day but she’s expected to be back in competition later in December.
Independent photo/Angelo Lynn

With Shiffrin out, Sara Hector of Sweden claimed the Giant Slalom win, while Zrinka Ljutic of Croatia took second and Camille Rast of Switzerland, third.

At the Slalom on Sunday, Camille Rast of Switzerland took her first career World Cup win, with Anna Swenn Larsen of Sweden in second and Wendy Holdener of Switzerland in third.

Paula Moltzan was the only member of the U.S. Ski Team to make it to the second run in the slalom event. However, she crashed in her second run and did not finish. Harkins reported that Moltzan had “dislocated her left shoulder but was able to reset it immediately. She sustained no fractures, and the shoulder is currently stable and will not need to undergo an operation. Right now she’s sore but looking forward to returning to competition after a couple of weeks of rehab.”

The record-breaking crowds totaling 39,000 over the weekend began arriving on Friday with 7,500 attending the athlete bib presentation and fireworks display. Saturday, 21,500 folks filled the grandstands to watch the 66 fastest female Alpine ski racers from 19 different countries descend Superstar. The Stifel Killington Cup was broadcast in more than 60 countries.