Swiss ski sensation Lara Gut-Behrami has unfortunately been forced to withdraw from 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 in February, had intended to retire at the end of the season in March.
The injury occurred while Gut-Behrami was training for the super-G event in Copper Mountain, Colorado, last week. She has now confirmed reports indicating that she suffered ligament ruptures in her left knee along with meniscus damage. Despite the setback, Gut-Behrami expressed a positive outlook, stating that while the injury is complex, she does not view it as a tragedy, especially in light of recent tragic accidents involving young skiers during training.
The two-time World Cup overall champion is scheduled to undergo surgery next week. While she has not officially announced her retirement, Gut-Behrami mentioned that she will assess her future in skiing once she has recovered from the injury. The Milan Cortina Olympics would have marked her fourth Winter Games, with the women’s Alpine skiing events taking place on the same course where she claimed gold in super-G and giant slalom at the 2021 world championships, in addition to a bronze in downhill.