What's going on with Vlhova? "Unfortunately, it's a long road ahead."

Petra Vlhova has been absent from the alpine skiing scene for almost exactly two years due to injury. Now the Olympic slalom champion has spoken about her difficult road back.

29 December 2025

From: never

January 20, 2024 – it was a fateful day for Petra Vlhova. During her home race in Jasna, the Slovakian suffered a torn medial collateral ligament and anterior cruciate ligament. A serious setback for the overall World Cup winner of the 2021/22 season, who, due to persistent knee problems, had to undergo another operation just a year later. Vlhova disappeared from the limelight, and information about her progress only trickled out. When she did open up, however, she always offered deep insights into her inner life, speaking, for example, about her breakup with her long-time boyfriend Michal. the constant struggle with oneself.

In October, she finally reached an “incredible milestone”, when she returned to the snow at the Stelvio PassThen things went quiet again for the 30-year-old – until now. In an interview with the Slovakian news portal Zenskyweb Vlhova spoke out again. "I am doing very well at the moment. I am working hard every day to ensure that my body is healthy and ready for top-level athletic performance," she explained.

Olympics? Vlhova remains tight-lipped.

However, her statements offered no vague indication of a timeframe for her return to the World Cup. "Unfortunately, it's a long road from training to competing at the highest level," she explained. "Every day, my team and I try to get the most out of each athlete. We're taking it step by step, increasing the workload, and I'm grateful for the progress we're making."

Petra Vlhova takes one step at a time. © ANSA / KIMMO BRANDT

When asked about a possible participation in the Olympic Games in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo (February 6-22), she admitted: "Of course, it would be the fulfillment of our dreams to compete in the Olympic Games and represent my country..."

"Everything bad comes from something good. If I hadn't hurt myself, I wouldn't be who I am today." Peter Vlhova

Vlhova doesn't view her ordeal solely negatively; rather, she believes she has learned from it. "I'm experiencing firsthand the saying: every cloud has a silver lining. If I hadn't been injured, I wouldn't be who I am today," she emphasized. "I had more time for myself and for activities that wouldn't have been possible in my normal sporting routine. I learned a lot about myself and believe I will use that knowledge in my life."