Štuhec fell during training on Sunday and scans done by a sport clinic in the area showed she tore the anterior cruciate ligament on her left knee.

"Unfortunately this was one of the last starts for many months. I'm angry, but I'm also motivated to come back," Štuhec wrote on the social network Twitter.

Her publicist said Štuhec would probably have to skip the bulk of the season or even the entire season, including the Winter Olympic Games in South Korea.

Štuhec would have been among the top contenders this season.

She exploded last season when she won seven World Cup races to finish second overall. She also won the downhill rankings and became the world champion in downhill in St. Moritz.