Though she has developed into one of the world's best all-around Alpine skiers, slalom is still where Mikaela Shiffrin runs up the score.
For Wednesday's slalom race in Lienz, Austria, though, she could only watch rival Petra Vlhova score the win on television from self-isolation.
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Shiffrin, who is vaccinated and boosted, announced Monday on social media that she had tested positive for COVID-19.
“I wanted to let you all know that I’m doing well, but unfortunately I had a positive COVID test,” she wrote. “I’m following protocol and isolating, and I will miss Lienz.
View social media post: https://twitter.com/MikaelaShiffrin/status/1475418232446242818?s=20
View social media post: https://www.instagram.com/p/CX-79BcD4P7/
Shiffrin, who is qualified to compete at her third Winter Olympics in February, had been enjoying a strong start to the 2021-22 World Cup season which has included three wins and eight podiums. She lost ground to Vlhova in the slalom standings, but remains the leader in the overall standings.
As it has with many other sports, COVID-19 has had a significant impact on Alpine skiing in December. In addition to Shiffrin, Swiss skier Lara Gut-Behrami, New Zealand’s Alice Robinson and Austrian Katharina Liensberger have all tested positive.
The women's season next heads to Zagreb, Croatia for a slalom race on Tuesday. Shiffrin could be in danger of missing that race as well.