Mikaela Shiffrin to skip World Cup ski races in Andorra to allow injured left knee more time to heal

American ski racer Mikaela Shiffrin will skip giant slalom and slalom races this weekend in Andorra to give her knee more time to mend.

Shiffrin, who’s chasing her sixth overall World Cup title this season, was hurt in a crash nearly two weeks ago during a downhill event at Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. Although she avoided major damage to her left knee, she said she’s dealing with an MCL sprain along with a sprain of the tibiofibular ligament. She added that she continues to recover from a bone bruise she suffered at the start of the season.

The 28-year-old from Colorado doesn’t have a timetable for a return, but won't rush back. She's focused on a rehab program to strengthen the knee. Shiffrin currently leads the overall standings by 95 points over Lara Gut-Behrami of Switzerland — a margin that could be eclipsed this weekend.

“I really want to do this right,” Shiffrin said Wednesday of her recovery. “Of course, there’s a lot at stake this season and I feel that. But I also feel like the next few seasons there’s just a lot of opportunity. There’s a lot of important racing coming up in the next few seasons, and I want to be firing on all cylinders for those.