VIENNA - World Cup slalom champion Marlies Schild will sit out the remainder of the Alpine ski season to rest the knee she hurt in a training crash in December.
The Austrian recovered from what initially appeared to be a season-ending injury and competed as defending champion in the slalom of last month's world championships. She was beaten for the title by American teenager Mikaela Shiffrin.
"Because of recurring problems with my right knee, I have to end my current season for good now," Schild wrote on her Facebook page on Wednesday. "I will take some rest and have additional therapy to be fully healthy for next season."
The 31-year-old Schild, who earned her fourth World Cup slalom title last season, has won 33 races in the discipline, one short of matching Swiss standout Vreni Schneider's record.
With just two events remaining — in Ofterschwang, Germany, on Sunday and in Lenzerheide, Switzerland, on March 16 — Schild was already out of contention for the slalom title.
Shiffrin, who won three races, leads the standings with 528 points. Overall champion Tina Maze of Slovenia with 495 and Veronika Velez Zuzulova of Slovakia with 435 are the only racers within 100 points of the American.
