Swiss Ski Star Lara Gut-Behrami Suffers Serious Knee Injury In Training Crash

The final season of Olympic champion Lara Gut-Behrami hangs in the balance today after the Swiss ski star suffered a significant knee injury during a training session in Colorado.

The 34-year-old defending Olympic Super-G champion crashed heavily during a Super-G training run at Copper Mountain on Thursday. According to a statement released by Swiss-Ski on Friday, initial medical evaluations at the venue indicate a left knee injury. While the federation did not confirm the specific nature of the damage, Swiss media outlet Blick has reported fears of a torn Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL), a diagnosis that would almost certainly end her season and her career.

"The Olympic Super-G champion will return to Switzerland as soon as possible to have a comprehensive medical examination," Swiss-Ski said in its official statement. "A statement on the extent of the injury will only be possible after these investigations."

Gut-Behrami is currently en route to Zurich, where she will undergo MRI scans and further testing to determine the severity of the damage.

The timing of the injury is particularly devastating for Gut-Behrami, who had previously announced that the 2025-2026 season would be her last before retiring. She had targeted the upcoming Winter Olympics in Milano-Cortina, scheduled for February 2026, as the swan song of her illustrious career.

One of the most decorated skiers in history, Gut-Behrami boasts:

• Olympic Gold: Super-G (Beijing 2022)
• World Cup Titles: Two-time Overall Champion (2016, 2024)
• World Championships: Eight medals, including two golds (Cortina 2021)
• World Cup Wins: 45 victories across three disciplines

She had started her farewell season in strong form, securing a third-place finish in the season-opening Giant Slalom in Sölden, Austria, just last month.

The crash occurred on the speed track at Copper Mountain, a primary early-season training venue for World Cup teams preparing for the North American swing of the tour. While specific details of the crash sequence remain unclear, reports suggest visibility was variable at the time of the incident.

If the suspected ACL tear is confirmed, it would mark a tragic end to the career of a skier known for her technical brilliance and resilience. Gut-Behrami previously fought back from a torn ACL in her left knee sustained during the 2017 World Championships in St. Moritz to reclaim her status as the world's best female skier in 2024.

The skiing world now waits anxiously for the results of the definitive tests in Switzerland, hoping for a diagnosis that might allow the champion one final run at Olympic glory.