FILE PHOTO: Alpine Skiing - FIS Alpine Ski World Cup - Women's Slalom - Saalbach, Austria - March 16, 2024 Mikaela Shiffrin of the U.S. poses with the crystal globe and celebrates on the podium after winning the slalom world cup REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger/File Photo
(Reuters) - American Mikaela Shiffrin will not compete in the downhill when the Alpine Ski World Cup season begins later this month, her representative confirmed to Reuters on Friday.
Shiffrin, owner of a record 97 World Cup wins, missed several weeks after injuring her knee in a high-speed crash in January while competing in the World Cup downhill in Cortina d'Ampezzo.
Her representative, Megan Harrod, cited the demanding downhill training schedule as a deciding factor, with the twice Olympic gold medallist focusing on the slalom, giant slalom and super-G instead.
"The amount of time downhill training takes is just too much to do the discipline justice," Harrod said.
Shiffrin etched her name in the history books when she collected a record 87th career World Cup win in March 2023, surpassing retired Swedish great Ingemar Stenmark's mark that had stood since 1989.
She told the Associated Press that she briefly contemplated retiring from the sport after the January crash and would consider bringing back the downhill discipline into her schedule in the future.
Shiffrin extended her record career haul to 97 World Cup wins with a pair of victories to close out last season in March.
The Alpine Ski World Cup season begins on Oct. 26 in Soelden, Austria.
(Reporting by Amy Tennery in New York, additional reporting by Tommy Lund and Rory Carroll; Editing by Toby Davis)
