Downhill skiing superstar Lindsey Vonn endured a violent crash Tuesday during a super-G competition at the world championships at Schladming, Austria.
The four-time overall World Cup champion was delivered by helicopter to a nearby hospital and suffered a knee injury that could prevent her from competing at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.
Vonn's sister Laura told NBC that Vonn would require surgery. The New York Times reports that Vonn suffered two torn knee ligaments and will need reconstructive knee surgery.
The United States Ski Team has announced that Vonn would miss the remainder of this season but is expected to return for the 2013-14 World Cup season, which begins in October, and the Sochi Games, which begin Feb. 7, 2014.
That, however, remains to be seen.
The competition had been delayed for three hours by fog. Vonn appeared to have lost balance upon landing a jump halfway down the course. She caught an edge with her right ski, causing her to tumble 500 feet down the slope.
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