Petra Vlhova Returns to Olympic Stage After Two-Year Injury Recovery
Slovakia’s Petra Vlhova, the 2022 Olympic slalom champion, is set to compete in the women’s slalom at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, marking a remarkable comeback after more than two years sidelined by a knee injury. ESPN and Olympics.com confirm her inclusion in the Slovak team.
Injury and Recovery
Vlhova sustained a significant knee injury in January 2024 during a World Cup giant slalom event in Jasna, Slovakia. The injury required surgery and a lengthy rehabilitation process, keeping her off the slopes for over two years. She received medical clearance for full skiing intensity last week, paving the way for her Olympic return. Ski Racing
Comeback and Olympic Preparation
The 30-year-old Vlhova expressed her determination to compete, acknowledging the limited time for preparation. She has been training in Spindleruv Mlyn, Czech Republic, but will not participate in the World Cup slalom and giant slalom races held there. Vlhova will make a final decision on competing 48 hours before the slalom race, scheduled for February 18th in Cortina d’Ampezzo.
Broadcast Information and Potential Conflicts
Slovak television will broadcast the women’s slalom. However, the second round of the race may clash with Slovakia’s hockey quarterfinal match against Germany, scheduled to start at 12:10 p.m. Local time. To address this potential conflict, the second round will be available on the stvr.sk website. Additional viewing options include Eurosport (with Czech commentary), ORF (with German commentary), M4 Sport (with Hungarian commentary), and the HBO Max streaming platform. Text coverage will be available on Sportnet.sk.
There is also a possibility of a schedule collision with the women’s biathlon relay, which starts at 2:45 p.m. On :Sport. If the hockey quarterfinal is extended, the biathlon relay may be broadcast on a separate stream.
Vlhova’s Accomplishments
Vlhova is a formidable competitor, known as a main rival to American skier Mikaela Shiffrin in slalom. She won Slovakia’s first Olympic medal in Alpine skiing with her slalom gold at the 2022 Beijing Winter Games and was the first Slovak skier to win the women’s overall World Cup title in 2021. She has a total of 31 World Cup race wins.