Olympic slalom champion Petra Vlhova has had a setback in her planned return from knee surgery.
Vlhova, who is Mikaela Shiffrin’s biggest rival, had operations on her right ACL and meniscus in January after crashing at her home race in Slovakia.
“Petra is still experiencing discomfort in her knee, which is incompatible with full skiing load,” a statement from Vlhova’s team said Thursday. “Comprehensive examinations revealed cartilage damage, which requires further specialized care.”
Vlhova’s coach, Mauro Pini, added: “Not everything is going as planned, and Petra is not having the happiest time in this context. Nevertheless, we are fully united as a team and working hard to support her return to the competitive skiing she loves. I expect we will know more about her ability to handle full load by the end of December.”
It’s unclear if Vlhova will return in time for the world championships in Saalbach, Austria, in February.
Meanwhile, Shiffrin is also out with an injury, following a fall in her home race in Killington, Vermont nearly two weeks ago.
Shiffrin sustained bruising and a deep puncture wound to her hip. The American is out indefinitely.
Vlhova won the slalom at the 2022 Beijing Olympics.
