Lindsey Vonn’s top rival for downhill gold is in danger of missing the upcoming Olympics.
Ilka Stuhec, a world champion Alpine skier from Slovenia, suffered a torn ACL after a slalom practice crash in Austria on Sunday.
“She’ll likely be out for the whole season,” her agent said in an email.
Stuhec had become a strong medal favorite for PyeongChang after winning FIS World Cup titles in downhill and Alpine combined last season. She also won a gold medal in downhill at the 2017 World Championships, where Vonn placed third.
According to a post on the FIS website, surgery is set for this Wednesday, with more information to come after that.
In a tweet, Struhec acknowledged that she would be sidelined “for a few months.”
The Olympics start in less than four months.