Lara Gut-Behrami’s season came to a sudden halt after a training accident resulted in serious damage to her left knee, including tears to the ACL, MCL, and meniscus. The injury ended her winter before it properly began and paused the career of one of alpine skiing’s most successful athletes at age 34.
Over more than a decade at the top of the sport, Gut-Behrami has built an exceptional résumé. She is a two-time overall World Cup winner, has claimed five super-G crystal globes three of them consecutively and has also won a giant slalom globe. Her achievements include Olympic super-G gold at Beijing 2022 and two world championship titles, underlining her status as one of the defining competitors of her generation.
Surgery is planned for next week in Geneva at Hôpital de La Tour. The procedure will be overseen by her long-time medical team, led by Dr. Olivier Siegrist alongside Julien Billières. While the exact date has not been confirmed, the focus is now firmly on repairing the damage and beginning rehabilitation.
Before the injury, Gut-Behrami had indicated that she expected the 2025–26 season to be her final one. That plan is now on hold. Speaking to Swiss media, she made it clear that she does not want an accident to dictate the end of her career and will only decide on her future once she has fully recovered.
Recovery is expected to be lengthy. While a standard ACL injury can require around six months of rehabilitation, the added ligament and meniscus damage could extend the process to as long as nine months. A smooth recovery could allow her to rejoin training ahead of next season.
Returning at this stage of a career is notoriously difficult, particularly for women over 30, and recent examples show how challenging it can be to regain peak form. Still, Lindsey Vonn’s remarkable comeback in 2024 offers a reminder that a return to elite racing, while demanding, is possible.
With Gut-Behrami sidelined and Federica Brignone also injured, the World Cup temporarily loses its two most recent overall champions.
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