Olympic slalom champion Petra Vlhova will not be competing at the start of the Alpine skiing World Cup season. The Slovakian athlete, who is 29 years old, is currently recovering from surgery on her right knee, a result of an injury sustained during a race on January 20. This setback means she will be absent from the first two races of the season, including the giant slalom on Saturday in Sölden, Austria, and the slalom scheduled for November 17 in Levi, Finland.
Vlhova’s team has indicated that it is unlikely she will participate in the upcoming races in Gurgl, Austria, on November 23, or in Killington, Vermont, on November 30 and December 1. Over the next six weeks, her focus will be on rebuilding her physical condition. Despite her recovery, Vlhova reported feeling no pain, emphasizing that her return to skiing will depend on her comfort and confidence on the slopes.
“It’s crucial for me to feel secure on my skis,” Vlhova explained. “I’m not going to compete just to go through the motions. My aim is to regain my strength and come back stronger than ever.” Last season, she won three races before her unfortunate fall in a World Cup giant slalom event held in her home country, where she sustained significant knee ligament damage.
Throughout her career, Vlhova has secured a remarkable 31 World Cup victories, placing her third among active female skiers. Mikaela Shiffrin leads the pack with 97 wins, followed by Lara Gut-Behrami with 45. Vlhova has consistently been Shiffrin’s main challenger in slalom events for the past six years, having won 21 out of 66 World Cup slaloms since March 2017.
“I’m paying more attention to what my body tells me than ever before,” Vlhova stated. “I need to respect my knee and recognize when it’s not ready. There are times when I’ve arrived at the slope only to decide against skiing. Understanding my body is a journey, and I’m learning to accept that it’s okay to take things slow when necessary.”