Lindsey Vonn to miss Olympics

— -- Olympic gold medal skier Lindsey Vonn will be unable to compete in the upcoming Sochi Games due to her injured knee.

Vonn announced that she will miss the Olympics in a statement Tuesday morning, saying she is "devastated." She aggravated her surgically repaired right knee at a downhill race last month in France.

"I am devastated to announce that I will not be able to compete in Sochi," Vonn said in her statement.

Vonn also announced that she will need another knee operation but that she hopes to be ready for the 2015 World Championships.

Vonn needed surgery last February to reconstruct two knee ligaments after a crash at the world championships, and partially re-tore one of them in November. She returned to the World Cup in Lake Louise, Alberta, in the first week of December and finished 40th and 11th in two downhills before placing fifth in super-G the next day.

But a loss of balance in Val d'Isere, France on Dec. 21 left her clutching her knee in another setback.

"I did everything I possibly could to somehow get strong enough to overcome having no ACL but the reality has sunk in that my knee is just too unstable to compete at this level," Vonn said in the statement. "I'm having surgery soon so that I can be ready for the World Championships at home in Vail next February.

"On a positive note, this means there will be an additional spot so that one of my teammates can go for gold. Thank you all so much for all of the love and support. I will be cheering for all of the Olympians and especially team USA!"

The 29-year-old American won two medals at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, including a gold in the downhill. She is also a four-time overall World Cup champion and the biggest name in Alpine skiing.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.