Alpine skiing-Season over for Austrian speed specialist Egger

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Jan 10 - Austrias Magdalena Egger will miss the Milano Cortina Olympics after suffering a season-ending anterior cruciate ligament injury in a World Cup downhill crash on Saturday, Ski Austria said.

The 24-year-old fell and careered into the side netting during the fourth downhill of the season in the Austrian resort of Zauchensee.

Egger, the second highest-ranked Austrian in the downhill standings, was lifted off the mountain by helicopter and taken to hospital.

Ski Austria said MRI scans had shown a rupture of the ligament, a tear of the collateral ligament and contusion of the lateral meniscus in her right knee. She was transferred to Innsbruck for surgery.

Egger had celebrated a first World Cup podium in St Moritz last month when she finished second in the opening downhill of the season.

Her injury is another blow to Austrias womens team after 2022 Olympic slalom silver medallist Katharina Liensberger was ruled out of the Games with a serious knee injury suffered in training this month.

That really hurts because Magdalena has had good results and performed well, also with regard to what is coming in February, womens head coach Roland Assinger told Austrian media.

The Olympic womens downhill in Cortina will be held on February 8. REUTERS