Knee surgery ends Olympic season for Lara Gut-Behrami

Lara Gut-Behrami will miss the rest of the Olympic season because of a severe knee injury she suffered while crashing in training in the United States, the Swiss ski star said on Thursday.

The 34-year-old Gut-Behrami would have been the defending Olympic champion in super-G at Cortina d'Ampezzo in February, and planned to retire when the season ends in March.

She was injured while training in super-G in Copper Mountain, Colorado, last week and has now confirmed earlier reports she ruptured ligaments in her left knee and damaged the meniscus.

"I consider that a knee injury, as complex as it is, cannot be considered a tragedy," Gut-Behrami said in a statement that noted the recent deaths of young skiers who crashed in training.

The two-time World Cup overall champion will have surgery next week and did not formally end her career, saying she would wait to see what the future holds after the injury heals.

The Milan Cortina Olympics was due to be Gut-Behrami's fourth Winter Games, with women's Alpine skiing raced on the course where she took gold in super-G and giant slalom at the 2021 world championships, and bronze in downhill.