U.S. champion skier Lindsey Vonn is facing surgery next week for her serious knee injuries

SCHLADMING, Austria - 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 Tuesday's crash at the world championships.
Vonn was released from the hospital late Tuesday and returned to the team hotel.
"I am grateful to my fans for the outpouring of support, which has really helped me stay positive," Vonn said in a statement Wednesday, a day after her crash here.
"I can assure you that I will work as hard as humanly possible to be ready to represent my country next year in Sochi" at the 2014 Winter Olympics.
U.S. Ski Team physician William Sterett, who has been treating Vonn since she was a child, was with her on the snow after the crash, 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.
He would not set a return date to skiing for Vonn until after the surgery. Other doctors have speculated that Vonn could be looking at six to eight months before she's back on skis.
Sterett also left open the possibility of Vonn requiring more than one surgery, saying that with these types of injuries "that's always a possibility."
"I plan on returning to Vail as soon as I can to have the necessary surgeries," Vonn said in her statement, although the plan for now was only one operation.
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On the same slopes Wednesday, American Ted Ligety produced a blistering finish to win his first super-G, taking a lot of risks in the turning final section and mastering the Planai course in 1 minute, 23.96 seconds.
The crash in Tuesday's women's race had not been on his mind, Ligety said.
"It's very sad for Lindsey because she was doing great but it didn't matter for my race," he said. "You have to move on. I am sure she will be back next year. As a ski racer, you can't let that affect you too much."
Vonn tore her anterior cruciate ligament and medial collateral ligament in her right knee. The broken bone was described as a "lateral tibial plateau fracture."
"The fracture is called an impaction fracture," Sterett said. "It should not require any surgery. It just needs to be non-weight on crutches."
Sterett said Vonn got great medical care here, as did Vonn in her statement: "I want to say thank you to the amazing medical staff that cared for me."
The team said it expects Vonn, the four-time overall champion, will be back for the next World Cup season and will compete at the 2014 Sochi Olympics.
"Best wishes to my Minnesota buddy @lindseyvonn...Good luck with the surgery! Thinking of ya! U.S. tennis player Mardy Fish tweeted Wednesday.
The harrowing accident came after Vonn landed off a jump in the opening race at the championships, the super-G. As she hit the ground, her right leg gave way and she spun down face first, throwing an arm out to protect herself. She ended up on her back as she smashed through a gate.
"The hospital staff did an excellent job with X-rays, MRI," Sterett said. "She had very good care and they were very, very helpful."
Sterett said Vonn was "a little banged up, and sore everywhere," without going into details on her bruises.
"She's in good spirits and upbeat. She's intently focusing on the next step and the next step now is getting from point A to point B, with point B being next season," he said. "She's determined and upbeat."
Sterett said that due to intense media attention, he won't say when Vonn will leave Schladming.