Shiffrin posts ‘letter to the world’; flies to site of next World Cup event – WTHR

VAIL, Colo. (WTHR) - Olympic gold medal skier Mikaela Shiffrin posted a "letter to the world" Thursday as she continues to grieve the death of her father, Jeff Shiffrin, on Feb. 2, 2020.

At the time, she confirmed her father's death on Instagram. Authorities say he died from injuries suffered in an accident in his Colorado home.

My family is heartbroken beyond comprehension about the unexpected passing of my kindhearted, loving, caring, patient, wonderful father. Our mountains, our ocean, our sunrise, our heart, our soul, our everything. He taught us so many valuable lessons...but above everything else, he taught us the golden rule: be nice, think first. This is something I will carry with me forever. He was the firm foundation of our family and we miss him terribly. Thank you, from the depths of my heart, for respecting my family's privacy as we grieve during this unimaginable and devastating time.Courtesy of Mikaelas Team

A post shared by Mikaela Shiffrin (@mikaelashiffrin) on Feb 3, 2020 at 7:15am PST

Thursday, the 24-year-old skier posted on Facebook her thanks to those who sent condolences, and announced plans to fly to Europe, but did not say whether she would be able to return to racing. In the 6-minute video post, Mikaela reads the letter aloud while sitting in a chair under a picture of her father.

This the the full text of her letter:

A Letter to the WorldOver the last few weeks, my family and I have received an overwhelming amount of support and love. The most kind and heartwarming messages you could imagine, checking in on us, sharing quotes and poems, song-lyrics, and telling wonderful stories about my Dad. Sometimes it feels like we are drowning in these messages, like we cant keep up with the support and love that everyone has shown, yet in so many ways it has also been our lifeline. We have not been able to respond to everything, but we want you all to know that we feel your love, and we want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for sharing it with us. Many have asked how we are doing, and where we are in the grieving process? The truth is, we havent really even started. Accepting this new reality is going to take a long time, and maybe we never truly will, maybe we dont have to. Because we can still feel him here. In our hearts, in our thoughts, in the sky and mountains and snow. He made his mark, and he is here. Many have also asked about my return to skiing and racing. I have been able to train a little bit over the last few weeks. It has been a slow process, but it has been theraputic to be on the mountain. Ive found training to be a place where I can feel closer to my dad, yet it provides enough of a distraction so that feeling of closeness can be separated from the pain. I am flying to Scandinavia today. I have no promises if Ill actually be able to race when the time comes, and I dont really even have goals. I just hope to make a few good turns. I think that would make my dad happy. If and when I do return to competition Id ask that you continue to respect my privacy, especially as it relates to my familys heartbreak. We are so thankful for the time we had with himwe cherish every single one of those momentsand we will keep him here in our hearts and our memories forever.

Shiffrin was leading the World Cup standings when her father died unexpectedly. After more than a month away, she's now in second place behind Italy's Federica Brignone with seven races left on the schedule.

Sweden hosts the next races on March 12-14, followed by the World Cup Finals in Cortina dAmpezzo, Italy. There are concerns Italy's coronavirus outbreak may impact the Finals, according to NBC Sports.

The International Ski Federation (FIS) is set to announce Friday whether the Finals will happen. On Wednesday, the Italian government said all sporting events in the country would take place without fans for at least the next month.

Shiffrin, a three-time defending World Cup champion, last raced Jan. 26 in Bulgaria.

Link:

Shiffrin posts 'letter to the world'; flies to site of next World Cup event - WTHR