American skier Vonn released from hospital and ready to travel home for surgery after horror crash

American skier Lindsey Vonn will head home for surgery next week after tearing two ligaments in her right knee and breaking a bone in her lower leg in a crash at the world championships. 

U.S. Ski Team physician William Sterett was with Vonn on the snow after the crash on Tuesday, then at a Schladming hospital where she was airlifted to. 

‘She’ll be heading back to Vail (Colorado) and I will be doing surgery on her knee early next week,’ Sterett told The Associated Press on Wednesday. 

Crash: American skier Lindsey Vonn was airlifted to hospital after a horror crash in the women's Super G race at the World Alpine Skiing Championships in Schladming, Austria this afternoon

Speed: Vonn lost balance on her right leg while jumping and her ski flew off straight away. She appeared to land on her right knee

Airlift: Vonn received 12 minutes of treatment on the slopes before being taken away by helicopter

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/othersports/article-2274369/Lindsey-Vonn-need-surgery-horror-ski-crash-Austria.html#ixzz2KDhbant0 

Skiing: Maier calls it a day

Austrian Alpine skiing champion Hermann Maier fought back tears as he announced his retirement from the sport. The Olympic gold medallist, who had been planning a return to the World Cup circuit in November after recovering from a knee injury, said he wanted to retire while he was still in good health.

Maier competed on the circuit for 13 years, winning four overall World Cup titles, four Olympic medals, including two golds in 1998, and three world championship titles. A late developing ski racer, who had previously mixed working as a ski instructor at his father's ski school in Flachau with brick-laying in the summer, Maier's career appeared to be over in 2001 when he nearly lost a leg following a motorcycle accident, requiring seven hours of surgery.

However, he made a remarkable comeback after more than a year on the sidelines, winning the World Cup super-G race at his favourite Kitzbuhel in January 2003.