A whole week passes before there is any certainty about the extent of Lara Gut-Behrami's knee injury. After extensive examinations it is clear: the cruciate ligament in her left knee is torn. The skier from Ticino leaves her future open.
Lara Gut-Behrami will not be able to compete in any more races this winter. Swiss-Ski has made the announcement. The 34-year-old, who has to undergo knee surgery next week, will therefore also miss the Winter Games in Italy.
"After her return to Switzerland on Sunday, Lara Gut-Behrami underwent further extensive examinations. On Wednesday evening, the 34-year-old from Ticino was given certainty: she has suffered a torn cruciate ligament, a torn medial collateral ligament and a torn meniscus in her left knee," reads the Swiss-Ski media release.
"I had imagined the next few months to be very different and was really looking forward to the rest of the ski season," says Gut-Behrami. "We have recently experienced dramatic events in our sport, fatal accidents involving young athletes. I believe that a knee injury, however complex it may be, cannot be considered a tragedy."
Will Gut-Behrami continue after all?
Gut-Behrami announced some time ago that she would end her career after the 2025/26 season. She is now leaving her sporting future open: "My goal is to fully recover from this injury and get back to full fitness. Only then will I know what the future holds for me."
Beat Tschuor, head coach of the Swiss women, says: "The Winter Olympics in her second home country of Italy were Lara's last major career goal. This makes this serious injury all the more bitter. We all hope that the operation and rehab go as smoothly as possible for Lara and that she gets back in top shape - either to continue her career or for a pain-free life after top-class sport. It goes without saying that her absence is a big loss, and the team will not only miss her as an athlete during the Olympic season, but also as a person."
