U.S. skier Lindsey Vonn suffered from a "complex knee injury" and was airlifted to a hospital after a crash during the super-G at the Alpine Ski World Championships in Austria on Tuesday. She will be out for the remainder of the season. Vonn, 28, won the downhill gold in the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver and is a four-time overall Alpine Ski World Cup champion. Here's a look at her rise to a household name for winter sports fans.
(CNN) -- With Thursday marking exactly a year to go until the Winter Olympics at Sochi, U.S. ski star Lindsey Vonn faces a race against time to make the Games.
The 28-year-old suffered a season-ending injury at the women's super-G in Austria Tuesday and faces surgery on ruptured knee ligaments and a lateral tibial plateau following a dramatic crash.
Vonn, who won the downhill gold at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, received 12 minutes of treatment on the slope before being flown to hospital by helicopter.
Vonn injures knee in race crash
Expected recovery times from ruptured knee ligaments vary from between six to eight months, but Vonn is adamant she will be back in action ahead of next year's event in Russia.
Lindsey Vonn airlifted after crash
"First off I want to say thank you to the amazing medical staff that cared for me," she said.
"I plan on returning to Vail (Colorado) as soon as I can to have the necessary surgeries.
"I am also grateful to my fans for the outpouring of support, which has really helped me stay positive.
"I can assure you that I will work as hard as humanly possible to be ready to represent my country next year in Sochi."
Vonn has emerged successfully from past injuries, coming back from a shocking crash in downhill training at the 2006 Olympics, which left her with a badly bruised back.
In 2007, her season was brought to an abrupt halt with a badly twisted right knee in slalom training at the Are world championships.
Victorious Vonn closes on World Cup record
She also suffered a broken finger at the 2010 Olympics, an event which she competed with a shin injury.
And with Sochi on the horizon, U.S. teammate Ted Ligety, who won the men's super-G Wednesday also offered Vonn his support.
"That was tough, that was a brutal-looking crash," Ligety said. "Hopefully, I'm sure she'll be strong again next year and fight back and she'll be back to where she was.
"Ski racing is a sport where you have so many teammates get injured and it's such a huge part of the sport that if an athlete ever let that get to them they would never do good ever.
"Because it's such a dangerous sport, it's something that's such a norm having teammates get injured that you can't worry about it because you need to worry about yourself and try to hammer hard and be safe yourself."
Knee injury not 'career-ender'
Loading weather data ...
© 2013 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Vonn is lifted by a helicopter during the women's super-G event during the Alpine FIS Ski World Championships on Tuesday, February 5, 2013, in Schladming, Austria.
Vonn skis before crashing while competing on February 5.
Vonn is airlifted on February 5.
Vonn is airlifted on February 5.
Lindsey Kildow, who became Vonn by marriage, of the USA Ski team poses for a portrait in 2001.
Kildow rides the lift with Maria Riesch of Germany during training for the FIS Alpine Skiing Women's World Cup Race on December 8, 2005, in Aspen, Colorado.
Kildow poses with her trophy, a cow, in Val d'Isere, France, after winning her second World Cup in the women's downhill event on December 17, 2005.
Kildow catches air during the women's downhill World Cup in Val d'Isere, France, on December 20, 2006.
Vonn gets ready to start her FIS Ski World Cup women's downhill training in Aspen, Colorado, on December 5, 2007.
Vonn cruises down the mountain during the slalom event in the women's super combined at the FIS alpine skiing world cup on March 9, 2008, in Crans-Montana.
Vonn competes in the women's slalom first run on March 13, 2009, at the Ski World Cup finals in Are, Spain.
Vonn celebrates with her gold medal during the medal ceremony for the alpine skiing ladies downhill in the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics on February 17, 2010 in Whistler, Canada.
Vonn accepts the award for Best Female Athlete onstage at The 2011 ESPY Awards on July 13, 2011, in Los Angeles.
Vonn takes first place during the Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup for women's giant slalom on October 22, 2011, in Soelden, Austria.
Vonn starts in the FIS World Cup women's downhill training on January 13, 2012, in Cortina d'Ampezzo.
Vonn makes a jump during the FIS World Cup women's downhill in Tarvisio on March 5, 2011. Vonn won the downhill World Cup title for the fourth year in a row.
Vonn in action during the Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup women's downhill training on February 3, 2012, in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany.
Vonn shows her first-place trophy during the Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup for the women's super-G on February 26, 2012, in Bansko, Bulgaria.
Vonn arrives at the 2012 ESPY Awards at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on July 11, 2012, in Los Angeles.
Vonn sprays powder during the Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup women's downhill on January 19, 2013, in Cortina D'ampezzo, Italy. She took first place.
From left, Tina Maze of Slovenia who came in second, Vonn who took first, and Anna Fenninger of Austria who took third celebrate after the Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup for women's giant slalom on January 26, 2013, in Maribor, Slovenia.
|