JASNA, Slovakia — Slovakian skier Petra Vlhova, who is Mikaela Shiffrin’s long-term rival in slalom, was ruled out for the rest of the World Cup season after suffering a knee injury Saturday during the first run of a women’s World Cup giant slalom close to her hometown.
Vlhova tore ligaments in her right knee, her team said, when she crashed and slid into the safety netting.
“I’m positive I can handle the situation,” Vlhova said in a statement released by her team. “I will fight for the earliest possible comeback.”
Racing in front of 10,000 spectators in Jasna, a resort about 17 kilometers (10.5 miles) from her hometown of Liptovsky Mikulas in the Tatra mountains, Vlhova lost balance in a left turn 14 seconds into her run.
The Olympic slalom champion adjusted her position and initially avoided a fall, but then leaned backward and went down sideways before sliding into the safety fencing.
Vlhova, who was the 2019 world giant slalom champion and beat Shiffrin to the 2021 overall title, received treatment alongside the course for several minutes before being taking…
