Alpine skiing-Vonn undergoing hospital checks after crashing in Crans-Montana downhill

CRANS-MONTANA, Switzerland, Jan 30 : U.S. Alpine ski great Lindsey Vonn was taken to hospital for checks after she crashed out of the last women's World Cup downhill before the Milano Cortina Olympics on Friday, with the gold medal favourite in obvious discomfort after she got back on her skis.

Organisers cancelled the race in worsening conditions with snow falling and Vonn, leader of the downhill standings, the sixth and last of those out of the start hut.

The 41-year-old, in winning form as she prepared for an age-defying Olympic comeback next week, lost her balance and crashed into the side netting, with her airbag inflating. 

"She has some pain so it's better to have some checks, the physio did some checks they seemed OK but there were things he was not 100 per cent sure so it was good to have it checked (at the hospital)," two-time Olympic champion Aksel Lund Svindal, Vonn's coach this season, told Reuters.  

Vonn was able to get back up on her skis after getting out of the side netting but was seemingly in pain from her left leg, stopping at one point to clutch her knee.

She was comforted at the finish by teammate Jacqueline Wiles.

Three of the first six skiers down the piste, shortened due to weather conditions with snow falling steadily, crashed. 

Vonn had bib number six as the first of the seeded racers at Crans-Montana in Switzerland, where 40 people died in a fire in a bar on New Year's Eve, making the race an emotional World Cup leg.

NORWAY'S MONSEN HURT

Austrian Nina Ortlieb was able to ski away but Norway's Marte Monsen was less fortunate.

Clutching her knees after being freed from the netting, Monsen was strapped into a stretcher and carried away with a bloodied face.

Italy's Federica Brignone, who returned to