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Austrian Ski Star Katharina Liensberger Out of Milano Cortina Olympics After Devastating Knee Injury

Vienna, Austria – Austrian skiing sensation Katharina Liensberger, the reigning Olympic silver medalist in slalom, will be sidelined for the upcoming Milano Cortina Winter Olympics after suffering a serious knee injury during training. The Austrian Ski Association confirmed that medical examinations revealed a fracture of the tibial plateau, a torn meniscus, and a medial collateral ligament injury in her right knee. Liensberger will undergo surgery Friday.

The 28-year-old slalom specialist crashed in St. Michael, Austria, ending her season just a month before the Games begin. This is a significant blow to the Austrian team, as Liensberger was expected to be a strong contender in the slalom event. She boasts an impressive resume, including a team gold and slalom silver medal from the 2022 Beijing Olympics, and the 2021 World Championship title in slalom. She also secured a slalom bronze at last year’s championships held in Saalbach, Austria.

Her absence will leave American superstar Mikaela Shiffrin, who has dominated the World Cup slalom circuit, as an even stronger favorite. Shiffrin has won the last six World Cup slaloms and five this season.

Liensberger joins a growing list of elite female skiers who have suffered serious injuries in the lead-up to the Olympics. Three Swiss Olympic champions – Michelle Gisin, Lara Gut-Behrami, and Corinne Suter – have also been sidelined due to training incidents, with Gisin and Gut-Behrami ruled out of the Games.

These injuries have reignited concerns about safety in alpine skiing, particularly the risks associated with training conditions. The death of Italian skier Matteo Franzoso in a training accident in September raised questions about how to limit risks in the high-speed sport. Shiffrin herself addressed these concerns earlier in the season, questioning the safety of training conditions and the often overwhelming variables that are difficult to control.

The women’s World Cup circuit continues this weekend in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, with giant slalom and slalom events.

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