USA's Mikaela Shiffrin tests positive for COVID-19, out of skiing World Cup events

Dec. 27 (UPI) -- Team USA's Mikaela Shiffrin tested positive for COVID-19 and won't compete in the Women's Alpine Ski World Cup events this week in Lienz, Austria, the two-time Olympic gold medalist announced Monday on social media.

"I wanted to let you all know that I'm doing well, but unfortunately, I had a positive COVID test," Shiffrin wrote on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. "I'm following protocol and isolating, and I will miss Lienz.

"Best of luck to my teammates. I'll be cheering for you. Thank you all for your support. I'll see you in the new year."

Shiffrin, 26, will miss Tuesday's giant slalom and Wednesday's slalom World Cup races. The next World Cup race for women is a slalom competition Jan. 4 in Zagreb, Croatia.

The Vail, Colo., native leads the Alpine Skiing World Cup standings with 750 points. Italy's Sofia Goggia sits in second place. Shiffrin finished in first and second, respectively, in two giant slalom World Cup competitions last week in Courchevel, France.

She previously qualified to compete in the 2022 Winter Games, which start Feb. 4 in Beijing.

Shiffrin won a gold medal in the giant slalom and a silver in the combined competition at the 2018 Winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea. She won another gold in the slalom at the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, Russia.