Alpine skiing-Gut-Behrami to miss Winter Olympics after knee injury

Switzerland's twice overall World Cup champion Lara Gut-Behrami has been ruled out of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics after suffering a torn cruciate ligament, Swiss Ski said on Thursday.

Gut-Behrami, who boasts 48 World Cup wins across three disciplines, crashed during Super-G training last week.

"She has suffered a torn cruciate ligament, a torn medial collateral ligament and a torn meniscus in her left knee," Swiss Ski said in a statement, adding: "She will no longer be able to compete in any races in the 2025-26 season"

"After her training crash last Thursday in Copper Mountain (Colorado), the Olympic super-G champion must undergo knee surgery," it said, adding this would happen next week.

Gut-Behrami's Olympic achievements include Super-G gold and giant slalom bronze from Beijing 2022, along with a downhill bronze from Sochi 2014.

"Her absence will of course be strongly felt in the Olympic season she will be missed not only as an athlete, but also as a person," Beat Tschuor, head coach of the Swiss Ski women's alpine team said.

Gut-Behrami had earlier announced her intention to retire following February's Winter Games.

"I had imagined the next few months very differently and was really looking forward to the rest of the ski season," she said on Friday.

"Recently we have experienced dramatic events in our sport — fatal accidents involving young athletes. I believe that a knee injury, however complex it may be, should not be regarded as a tragedy."

"My goal is to make a full recovery from this injury and return to my full performance level. Only then will I know what the future holds for me."