Swiss ski sensation Lara Gut-Behrami has announced that she will be sidelined for the remainder of the Olympic season due to a serious knee injury sustained during a training crash in the United States. The 34-year-old, who was set to defend her super-G Olympic title in Cortina d’Ampezzo this February and retire at the end of the season, suffered the injury while practicing in super-G at Copper Mountain, Colorado. Gut-Behrami has confirmed that she tore ligaments in her left knee and incurred meniscus damage.
In a statement, Gut-Behrami emphasized that despite the complexity of her knee injury, she does not view it as a tragedy, especially in light of recent fatal accidents involving young skiers during training sessions. The two-time World Cup overall champion is scheduled to undergo surgery next week and has not officially announced the end of her career, opting to wait and assess her options post-recovery.
The Milan Cortina Olympics would have marked Gut-Behrami’s fourth Winter Games, with the women’s Alpine skiing events taking place on the same course where she achieved gold in super-G and giant slalom at the 2021 world championships, along with a bronze in downhill. The ski star’s future in the sport remains uncertain as she focuses on recuperation and rehabilitation from her knee injury.