Petra Vlhova included in Slovakia’s team for the Milan Cortina Games after two years out with injury | National

Vlhova said last week she was cleared by her medical team “for full skiing intensity.”

“I’ve decided to fight for the chance to compete,” she said then, but acknowledged that with the short time to prepare for the Olympics, “it might sound a bit crazy.”

“I will do my absolute best every single day to earn the chance to be part of the Slovak Olympic team,” she said.

Vlhova has long been American standout Mikaela Shiffrin’s main rival in slalom.

The women’s slalom at the 2026 Olympics — the last skiing race on the schedule — is scheduled for Feb. 18 in Cortina d’Ampezzo. Vlhova said she would wait until 48 hours before the race before making her final decision on whether to compete.

She has been training this week in the Czech resort of Spindleruv Mlyn that will host World Cup slalom and giant slalom races over the weekend. She called her preparations “great” but does not plan to participate in those events.

Vlhova became the first Slovak skier to win the women’s overall World Cup title in 2021. She has won a total of 31 World Cup races and her slalom gold at the 2022 Beijing Winter Games was Slovakia’s first ever Olympic medal in Alpine skiing.