Liensberger returns to skis, but World Cup comeback remains uncertain

Austrian skier Katharina Liensberger has returned to the slopes after a serious right knee injury, but will miss the World Cup races in Sölden and Levi, ORF reported. A start in the slalom at Gurgl has not been ruled out.

Liensberger, 29, first skied again this week in Sölden. She suffered a fracture to the top of her right shinbone, a torn meniscus and a torn medial ligament in a training crash in early January.

“Feeling snow under my feet again and making my first turns after such a long time means an incredible amount to me,” she wrote on her website. She said she still had many steps, training days and intensive work ahead before she could race again, and that her body needed time to recover fully.

The next race on the calendar after Levi is the slalom in Gurgl. Liensberger is an Olympic and world championship medallist and won the Slalom World Cup title in the 2020-21 season.