Olympic slalom champion Petra Vlhova will miss the start of the Alpine skiing World Cup season as she works her way back from right knee surgery after falling in a Jan. 20 race.
Vlhova, a 29-year-old Slovakian, said Monday that she will miss the first two races: Saturday’s season-opening giant slalom in Sölden, Austria (live on Peacock), and a Nov. 17 slalom in Levi, Finland.
A rep for Vlhova also said it’s “not probable” that she’ll start the season’s third race — a slalom in Gurgl, Austria, on Nov. 23 — or fourth and fifth races — a GS and slalom in Killington, Vermont, on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1.
“Over the next six weeks, until the end of November, she’ll be working on her physical condition,” according to her team.
Vlhova said she doesn’t have any pain.
“It’s more about how I feel on the skis,” she said. “I need to be 100% sure. I won’t compete just to ski down the hill. I need to regain my strength, and then hopefully it will go the way I envision.”
Vlhova won three races last season before her season-ending fall in a World Cup GS in her home country. She tore at least one right knee ligament.
Her 31 career World Cup race wins are third among active women behind Mikaela Shiffrin’s record 97 and Swiss Lara Gut-Behrami’s 45.
Vlhova has been Shiffrin’s primary rival in the slalom for the last six years.
In 66 World Cup slaloms dating to March 2017, Shiffrin has won 36, Vlhova has won 21 and the rest of the world has won nine.
“I’m listening to my body more than ever before,” Vlhova said. “I have to accept when my knee says no. It dictates my schedule and training time. There were days when I came to the slope and just said no. That happens too. I’m getting to know my feelings and I know that it’s OK even when it’s not really OK.”
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