Mikaela Shiffrin is back in the gym and aiming to be on snow “in the next week or so,” the American skiing star said more than a month after suffering a deep puncture wound in her hip area.

The serious injury occurred during a during a crash on Nov. 30 in Killington, Vt. Shiffrin was nearing the finish of her second run of the giant slalom, chasing a record-extending 100th World Cup win, when she lost an edge and slid into a gate, flipping head over skis.

Shiffrin underwent abdominal surgery in mid-December to clean out the puncture wound.

“Making progress over here … I can move and sweat and use my body which is so exciting!” Shiffrin said on Instagram late Wednesday. “This next phase of recovery is all about getting my strength and conditioning back as much as possible while working within the limitations of my obliques. Long hours of gym/rehab time but it’s coming along and I’m so happy with that. Hoping to work into some easy turns on snow in the next week or so.

“There’s a little ways to go before I’m ready to truly ski with intensity — from a pain and a fitness perspective — but I am psyched with where we’re at now,” she added.

It remains unclear when the two-time Olympic champion might return to the World Cup circuit, or if Shiffrin will be back in time for the world championships in Saalbach, Austria, in February.

French skier Cyprien Sarrazin was out of intensive care after sustaining a head injury in a crash last week.

Sarrazin underwent surgery for a bleed near the brain after crashing last Friday during preparations for the World Cup downhill in Bormio, Italy.

“A long period of recovery and then rehabilitation now begins and the length of his unavailability is currently undetermined,” the French Ski Federation said on X. It added he was stable.

Sarrazin was due to return to France today to be admitted to the neurosurgery department of the Medipole de Lyon.

Sarrazin, 30, was the fastest in the first training session the day before his crash. On Friday’s second run he appeared to hit a bump, lost control and was catapulted into the air. He slid a long way down before he was caught in the safety netting.

The slope will be used for the Milan-Cortina Olympics in 14 months.

GOLF

Tom Hoge grew up in North Dakota and found the ideal vibe for Kapalua, keeping expectations low and riding the momentum of good golf on his way to a 9-under 64 to take a one-shot lead at The Sentry in the PGA Tour season opener in Hawaii.

Hideki Matsuyama tried out a new putter and he had a birdie-eagle-birdie stretch on the back nine that carried him to a 65 and was one back along with Will Zalatoris.

SOCCER

The NWSL’s 16th team is headed to Denver for a record $110 million expansion fee, Sportico.com reported.

It’s more than double the previous NWSL record for new teams and the largest expansion fee ever in U.S. women’s sports. Groups from Cleveland and Cincinnati were also finalists for the new franchise.

The group is led by IMA Financial Group CEO Robert Cohen, who would become the team’s control owner, according to Sportico.

The Philadelphia Union named Bradley Carnell as the fourth head coach in the MLS team’s history.

Carnell, 47, spent two seasons as manager of St. Louis City SC and was the team’s inaugural head coach. He went 22-15-25 in 62 total regular-season matches. St. Louis led the Western Conference and ranked third in MLS with 62 goals and with a plus-17 goal differential during the 2023 season.

The team lost to Kansas City in the first round of the 2023 playoffs. Carnell was fired during this past season with St. Louis stuck in 12th in the 14-team Western Conference.

Carnell also served as assistant manager as interim head coach with the New York Red Bulls in 2020. He went 6-3-5 in 14 matches to lead New York to its 11th straight postseason appearance and, as an assistant manager, he helped guide the Red Bulls to the 2018 Supporters’ Shield.

HOCKEY

Boston College teammates James Hagens and Ryan Leonard each scored twice and the defending champion United States routed Switzerland 7-2 in the world junior hockey quarterfinals in Ottawa, Ontario.

Boston University’s Brandon Svoboda, Notre Dame’s Danny Nelson and Denver’s Zeev Buium also scored, Hampton Slukynsky of Western Michigan made 17 saves and BC’s Gabe Perreault had three assists.

The Group A champion Americans will face Czechia — a 4-3 winner over Canada in the night game at Canadian Tire Centre — on Saturday. Group B winner Sweden will play Finland in the other semifinal.

Adam Jecho scored on a one-timer on a power play with 39.4 seconds left to lift Czechia over Canada. Bradly Nadeau had tied it for Canada with 4:18 remaining. Czechia got the late power play when Andrew Gibson was called for kneeing.