SCHLADMING, Austria — It's official. Austrian slalom skier Marlies Schild will be back on Saturday in Schladming to defend world title in slalom after the break she was forced to take due to injury.

Schild suffered a crash a few days before Christmas while training in Are, Sweden and tore a ligament in her right knee. At the time, it was presumed that her season was over.  

Schild was back on her skis already at the end of January. The winner of 33 World Cup Slalom races has since felt better with each passing day and it was decided that there was no reason to further postpone her return to competition.