Shiffrin has 'visions of crashing' again while skiing

Mikaela Shiffrin's crash at the World Cup giant slalom at Killington in the United States in December

Alpine World Ski Championships: Women's slalom

Date: Saturday, 15 February Time: first run 08:35 GMT, second run 12:05

Coverage: Watch live on the BBC Sport website, BBC iPlayer and red button

The world's most successful alpine skier Mikaela Shiffrin has spoken openly about her mental health struggles in returning to competition after a freak race injury.

The American was set for her 100th World Cup victory when leading the second leg of a giant slalom race in Killington in December when she crashed out near the end of the run, somersaulting into the safety nets.

Shiffrin sustained a puncture wound and muscle damage to her stomach, an injury she told BBC's Ski Sunday was "weird, gross and painful".

The 29-year-old spent two months out injured but is back competing at the Alpine World Ski Championships in Saalbach, Austria.

"From the outside you look fine, you're back skiing again - but you're not OK yet," said Shiffrin.

"I've been experiencing that more than I ever did, or ever imagined, with giant slalom in particular.

"Sometimes I'll get a random vision of crashing. It might not be the Killington crash, it could be the course in front of me, that I have this random vision that I'm in the nets again and something else is stabbing through me."

She partnered with world downhill champion Breezy Johnson in the women's team combined event on Tuesday, turning down an invite from Lindsey Vonn in the process. The pair won gold.

Shiffrin said racing with Johnson had been a different, positive, dynamic, while her fellow American, 29, just wanted to see her happy.

The medal was simply a bonus as Shiffrin explained: "As an individual athlete, you never feel you are doing enough.

"Be faster, fix other things, there's always things to work on. You're living in this world, a very critical world, and you just never feel good enough.

"But I could really lean on Breezy. I wanted to do well for her and she felt the same for me."

Shiffrin opted not to compete in the giant slalom and finished fifth in Saturday's slalom, 1.37 seconds behind Swiss winner Camille Rast and just five-hundredths of a second off a podium place.

She was lying in third place going into the second run but missed out on the chance to claim what would have been a record 16th medal at the World Championships.

"It's a really good step forward," said Shiffrin after the race, as she switched her focus to the final three events of the World Cup season.

"There are some obvious challenges I face to keep improving to get to the point of fighting for podiums by the end of the season. It's a step-by-step process.

"Eight weeks ago I had surgery so it's like a funny place to be recovering and returning to the World Championships. In the end I'm really grateful to be here."

• Watch the full interview on Ski Sunday, 16 February, BBC Two, 17:15 GMT.