Alpine skiing sensation Mikaela Shiffrin opens up about her ‘visions of crashing’ after facing a terrifying accident.

Mikaela Shiffrin, the most accomplished alpine skier in modern history, has candidly shared her battle with mental health following a harrowing crash during a competition last year.

The two-time Olympic gold medalist was aiming for her 100th World Cup victory at the giant slalom in Killington, USA, in December when she fell while leading the second run, crashing into the safety nets.

This incident resulted in a puncture wound and muscle damage to Shiffrin’s abdomen—an injury she described to the BBC’s Ski Sunday as “odd, unpleasant, and painful.”

It is believed that her ski pole’s tip caused the stab wound and small cavity that required surgical intervention.

After two months of recovery, Shiffrin marked her return to competition at the women’s slalom during the Alpine World Ski Championships in Saalbach, Austria.

Before the events commenced, she disclosed that she is recovering from post-traumatic stress disorder stemming from the crash and the subsequent injury.

“On the outside, everything seems fine—you’re back on the slopes—but inside, you’re not OK yet,” she stated.

“I’ve been experiencing more anxiety than I ever thought possible, especially with giant slalom.”

“Occasionally, I have intrusive thoughts of crashing. It may not necessarily be the Killington incident, but I sometimes envision myself in the nets again, suffering another injury.”

Last week, Shiffrin teamed up with world downhill champion Breezy Johnson in the women’s team combined event, where they clinched the gold medal together.

The 29-year-old chose not to participate in the giant slalom but finished fifth in Saturday’s slalom, just 1.37 seconds behind Swiss winner Camille Rast and a mere five hundredths of a second shy of third place.

Shiffrin was in third position after the first run but couldn’t improve her time to secure what would have been an unprecedented 16th medal at the World Championships.

“It’s a significant step forward,” Shiffrin reflected after the race.

“There are clear challenges ahead as I work to improve and strive for podium finishes by the end of the season. It’s a gradual process.

“Considering I had surgery just eight weeks ago, this is a unique position to be in, returning to the World Championships. Ultimately, I feel incredibly thankful to be here.”