The China Mail - All eyes on Shiffrin as record 16th world medal beckons

But the American admits her presence in the Austrian resort for the World Ski Championships had been up for debate as she slowly makes her comeback from a crash that saw her sidelined for two months.

The dramatic fall in Killington in November left the 29-year-old nursing an abdominal puncture wound that required surgery.

After finishing 10th in the Courchevel night slalom in her first race back last month, Shiffrin decided to not defend her world giant slalom title in Saalbach, citing symptoms like post-traumatic stress disorder brought on by her fall and injury.

She did, however, take part in the team combined in the Austrian resort, partnering newly-crowned world downhill champion Breezy Johnson to gold -- a record-equalling 15th world medal -- for the United States.

While it could be argued Shiffrin has had little competitive time on the slopes, there is no doubt she will head into the slalom as a firm favourite, notably in the absence of Slovak rival Petra Vlhova, out for the season with injury.

"After everthing's that happened in the last two months I couldn't imagine a better world championships experience," Shiffrin said of her combined gold.

The no-pressure attitude of Johnson, she said, had allowed her to "take on a better mindset for this race and hopefully to keep that rolling going forward".

"I feel like the last years I get so close and then something happens. I feel so close to good skiing but then I'm so far away from the proper pace.

"The hardest thing is coming to terms with that reality," said Shiffrin, displaying the degree of perfectionism that has seen her bag a record 99 World Cup victories and record four straight world slalom golds (2013-2019) as well as bronze in 2021 and silver in 2023.

Such is Shiffrin's desire not just to turn up to ski, but be present and competitive, that she had a flash of imposter syndrome in Saalbach.

"I've been so close to just going home so many times in just the last week," she acknowledged.

"If we start slalom on Saturday, it's go-time for the season. I have a lot of uncertainties still."

Speaking after the combined, Shiffrin said she now couldn't "not start" the slalom "because I did good enough and enough turns, that it's there and we've got to keep trying to get it stronger and better".

Switzerland's Camille Rast heads up the World Cup slalom standings, ahead of Croatian Zrinka Ljutic.

Ljutic sent a warning to the rest of the best as she dominated the final World Cup slalom in Courchevel before everyone decamped to Saalbach.

The 20-year-old sealed victory by a massive 1.26 seconds and now has three wins in her past four World Cup slaloms -– all recorded when leading after the first run.

"I could not imagine at the beginning of the season I would get all these wins and that I would adapt to the new material so well. I think the sky is the limit now," she said.

"I am living the dream... don't wake me up!"

Also expected to be in the running for a podium place are the Swedish pair of Sara Hector and Anna Swenn Larsson, Austrians Katharina Liensberger and Katharina Huber, Germany's Lena Duerr and the Swiss duo of Wendy Holdener and Melanie Meillard.

J.Liv--ThChM