Knees knock title chances

Kostelic is hoping her form will return after surgery

Any recreational skier knows how much punishment the knees get on the slopes.

So imagine how many times that is multiplied for professional skiers.

Knee injuries and rates of recovery play such a major part in the World ski racing circuit.

They could decide who wins the medals at February's Salt Lake City Olympics as well as the World Cup title.

Janica is walking but she feels pain in her knee

Ante Kostelic

With the start of the World Cup season just days away, many top skiers are still getting back to fitness after treatment.

Germany's Martina Ertl is better after surgery, Switzerland's Sonia Nef is skiing well with the help of shark oil but title holder Janica Kostelic is on crutches after her third operation in a year.

A healthy Kostelic would be a clear favourite for the slalom gold medal in Salt Lake City.

But all this surgery is taking its toll.

Her father Ante said: "Janica is walking but she feels pain in her knee and it is definitely certain now that she won't be out on the slopes for a while."

Jeopardise

Last year's season-opener in Soelden was won by Ertl who has had knee problems of her own.

She is optimistic about racing in Austria despite having undergone surgery at the end of 28 September.

The 28-year-old, a fixture in the World Cup overall top 10 for the last nine seasons, got back on her skis swiftly but insists she is not taking unnecessary risks.

"I personally would not jeopardise my health for a race because I would like to still be skiing at 40 or 50 and not suffering the consequences," Ertl said.

Nef, 29, has undergone eight knee operations and after those had her best-ever season by winning by the giant slalom World Cup and the world championship gold in 2000.

She has revealed shark oil keeps her joints working smoothly.

Street spent 18 months off skis

And America's Picabo Street is aiming for a successful swansong.

Street won the gold medal in super-G at the 1998 Nagano Olympics and the silver in the downhill at the 1994 Olympics in Lillehammer.

She is the only American, male or female, to win the World Cup title, and she did it twice, in 1995 and 1996.

Just after Nagano, she was involved in a serious crash on the slopes.

Street shattered her left leg and blew out her right knee.

It took 18 months for her injuries to heal and get back on her skis.

But she is back racing and hopes to cap a memorable return by reaching the podium in Salt Lake City.