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Petra Vlhova sustains a knee injury, ending her season, after a fall during the giant slalom
Petra Vlhova, the Olympic slalom gold medalist, experienced a season-ending injury with at least one torn ligament in her right knee during a fall in a giant slalom event on Saturday.
In a statement provided by her team, Vlhova expressed optimism about dealing with the situation, stating, “I’m positive I can handle the situation. I will fight for the earliest possible comeback.”
Competing in her home country of Slovakia, Vlhova encountered difficulty around the ninth gate of her first run, leading to a slip and subsequent fall.
Following her fall, Petra Vlhova’s momentum carried her sideways towards the fencing on the side of the course. After coming to a stop, she managed to sit up slightly on her side before receiving assistance.
Subsequently, Vlhova was transported off the hill in a sled, acknowledging spectators with a wave as she passed near the finish area.
At 28 years old, Vlhova, with 31 World Cup race wins, had been a prominent figure in slalom racing, sharing the slalom supremacy with Mikaela Shiffrin over the past few years.
In the same event, Olympic giant slalom gold medalist Sara Hector of Sweden emerged victorious in the two-run race, surpassing Shiffrin by 1.52 seconds. This marked the largest margin of victory in women’s giant slalom since February 2004.
Shiffrin secured her 149th career World Cup podium, bringing her within six podium finishes of the record held by Swedish skier Ingemar Stenmark, a prominent figure in the 1970s and ’80s. In the previous season, Shiffrin surpassed Stenmark’s career World Cup wins record of 86, now boasting a total of 94 victories.
Looking ahead, the women are set to compete in a slalom event in Jasna on Sunday, with the coverage available for subscribers on ski and snowboard live.
