Lindsey Vonn Airlifted After Serious Ski Accident

Pro skier Lindsey Vonn was taken up in an airplane on Tuesday after suffering serious injuries following a ski accident on opening day of the FIS Alpine World Championships in Austria.

After being airlifted from the mountain in Schladming, Austria, the Olympic gold-medal winner was evaluated at a nearby hospital and released, the U.S. Ski Team said in a statement. "Vonn had posted the fastest first interval and was having a strong run when she went down off a jump midway down the course," the statement said.

According to U.S. Ski Team Medical Director Kyle Wilkens, the Olympic champion suffered torn ligaments in her right knee, as well as a lateral tibial plateau fracture.

The injuries will take 28-year-old Vonn out of racing competition for the remainder of this season, but she is expected to return for next season's 2013-14 Audi FIS World Cup season and the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi.