Bern, Switzerland – A major setback has struck the alpine skiing world as Swiss star Lara Gut-Behrami has suffered a severe knee injury, sidelining her for the remainder of the Olympic season and jeopardizing her bid for gold at the upcoming Milano Cortina Winter Games. The 34-year-old, a 2022 Olympic champion in super-G, sustained the injury during a training run in Colorado and is facing surgery and a lengthy recovery. Gut-Behrami had previously announced her intention to retire after the 2026 season, but her future in the sport is now uncertain as she begins the arduous process of rehabilitation.
BERN – Swiss ski star Lara Gut-Behrami will miss the remainder of the Olympic season, and her chance to compete in the upcoming Winter Games in Italy, due to a serious knee injury.
Gut-Behrami was poised to defend her super-G gold and giant slalom bronze medals from the 2022 Beijing Olympics. The Swiss Ski Federation announced today that the 34-year-old skier will not compete for the rest of the season, leaving her long-term future in the sport uncertain.
The injury occurred last week during a training run for a World Cup event in Copper Mountain, Colorado. Following her return to Switzerland, examinations revealed a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), medial collateral ligament (MCL), and meniscus in her left knee.
Surgery is planned, followed by a lengthy rehabilitation process that will sideline one of the sport’s top competitors for the foreseeable future. Gut-Behrami had started the season strongly, finishing third in the opening giant slalom race in Sölden last month.
“The next few months I had imagined completely differently and I was really looking forward to the next season,” Gut-Behrami stated, adding a measured perspective on the situation: “We have experienced dramatic events in our sport recently, fatal accidents involving young skiers. I believe that a knee injury, however complicated, cannot be described as a tragedy.”
Gut-Behrami announced in June her intention to retire after the 2025/26 season. However, in light of this new development, she is keeping her options open regarding her future in skiing. “My goal is to fully recover from the injuries and then return to my full abilities. Only then will I know what the future holds for me,” she said.
“The Winter Olympic Games in Italy, a second home for Lara, were her last major career goals. It is all the more bitter to have this serious injury. We all wish her the best possible outcome for the surgery and rehabilitation, and that she can return to top form – whether to continue her career or for life after competitive sport,” DPA quoted coach Beato Tschuor as saying.
One of the most decorated skiers in history, Gut-Behrami has claimed 48 World Cup victories. She has twice won the overall World Cup title and finished second three times, also securing seven small crystal globes, including a record six in super-G.
This isn’t the first time Gut-Behrami’s career has been interrupted by serious injury. She missed an entire season in 2009 due to a hip injury sustained in training, and underwent surgery for a torn knee ligament in February 2017.
- Autor: © Zoznam/
- Zdroj: ČTK, TASR
