U.S. Alpine racer Resi Stiegler will spend the rest of the season rehabilitating following a left leg injury on Thursday, Nov. 19 at Copper Mountain, Colo.

The 24-year-old was taking a training run on the giant slalom course at Copper when she tangled in a gate near the bottom of the course and crashed hard.

Copper Mountain Ski Patrol, U.S. Team coaches and trainers helped put Stiegler on a gurney before taking her down the mountain and driving her to Vail Valley Medical Center for evaluation and treatment.

On Friday, U.S. Ski Team Medical Director Richard Quincy reported that Stiegler will be out for the season and that the crash resulted in a complex left leg injury consisting of fractures to the tibia and femur that required surgery. Stiegler is still at Vail Valley Medical Center recovering from the procedure but her spirits are reportedly as good as could be expected.

Stiegler has been plagued by injuries the past two seasons after a crash in Lienz, Austria, in 2007, when she fractured her left arm and tore ligaments in her right knee. The 24-year-old was training for an attempt at making the 2010 Olympic team and was excited about her "comeback" season.

Several of Stiegler's teammates and coaches have visited her in the hospital and U.S. women's head coach Jim Tracy expressed deep remorse about her injury and said the team wants her back in action as soon as possible.

"We'll all miss her," said Tracy, who visited Stiegler in the hospital on Friday afternoon. "We'll look forward to getting her back. Hopefully with this injury, she'll be able to recover soon."

by Shauna Farnell

PHOTO: Resi Stiegler is placed onto a gurney at Copper Mountain Thursday, Nov. 19, following a training crash.

Frontpage photo: Stiegler waves in the finish area following her first run at Soelden on Oct. 24. (GEPA)