Mikaela Shiffrin made a remarkable return to competitive skiing, finishing 10th in the World Cup slalom race held in Courchevel, France, following her recovery from a serious injury sustained two months prior.

Shiffrin, the leading female Alpine skier, returned to the slopes in a performance marked by resilience and determination, just 61 days after a devastating crash left her with a deep gash in her obliques. She fell during a giant slalom in Killington, Vermont, sustaining a puncture wound that required surgical intervention. Despite the odds, she finished the event with a time of 2.04 seconds behind the winner, Reuters reported.

The Croatian skier Zrinka Ljutic clinched victory with a time of 1:45.06, showing exceptional skill under the stadium lights, while Sweden’s Sara Hector and Germany's Lena Duerr completed the podium. Shiffrin, who was fifth after the first run, struggled with her timing and rhythm in the second, an outcome she attributed to her recent injury and absence from competitive skiing.

Shiffrin expressed satisfaction with her performance despite not finishing in the top spots, stating, “It was a very important step in my recovery to see how I’m stacking up with the top skiers in the world. I’m happy to be back competing with them. Hopefully, I get faster in the next weeks” USA Today noted.

As she prepares for the upcoming World Championships in Saalbach, Austria, set to begin next month, Shiffrin emphasized the importance of continuing her training. “I’m catching up to the fastest in the world, so I have a lot of work to do,” she acknowledged.

With 99 World Cup wins already to her name, Shiffrin's next victory will mark a historic milestone as she aims to become the first skier to reach 100 wins across the World Cup circuit. Her next competitions will include giant slalom and slalom events scheduled for February 13 and 15.

Shiffrin’s fighting spirit and her determination to compete again highlight her legacy in the world of skiing, where she has already established herself as the most successful Alpine skier in history, having broken the previous record held by Ingemar Stenmark.

To read more about Shiffrin and Ljutic's performances, check out coverage from AP News and another AP article.