Zermatt, Switzerland – Swiss ski racer Didier Defago, the reigning Olympic downhill champion, is out for the 2010-11 winter with a knee injury sustained during pre-season training in Zermatt.nThe 32-year-old was training super G in Zermatt when he crashed, tearing ligaments in his left knee. Swiss Ski Federation team doctor Hans Spring has confirmed that the injury will sideline Defago for the entire 2010-11 World Cup season, which will include the 2011 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships to be held in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, this February.

Defago’s was airlifted to a nearby hospital in Sion, where his torn left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and damaged medial collateral ligament (MCL) were confirmed via an MRI examination. He has been scheduled for surgery in Geneva on Friday to repair the damage.