The 2010 Olympic downhill champion said she has "one more surgery left to take out the metal and to replace my [anterior cruciate ligament] ACL" and then a lengthy period of recuperation.

"Once I get my ACL fixed, then that's another six months, so I have at least a year and a half ahead of me before I could really be back to 100%, even just training in the gym," she added.

Vonn was racing at the Olympics in Cortina nine days after rupturing ligaments in her left knee when she struck a gate and crashed 13 seconds into her downhill run.

She was airlifted off the piste and diagnosed with a complex tibia fracture in her left leg.

"I'm still in survival mode.…