Rising star Maria Riesch out for World Cup season after Cortina crash{mosimage}CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy - German alpine skier Maria Riesch injured her right knee in a fall Wednesday and will miss the rest of the World Cup season. The 20-year-old German lost control midway through her run in a super G race and slammed into protective fencing backward, hitting her head first.

After laying still for several minutes, she eventually got up and
skied down the slope crying. After being taken to a nearby hospital, Riesch was diagnosed with a torn interior cruciate ligament in her right knee.

She also suffered bruises to her face and was bleeding on her chin and upper lip. Riesch already missed a month of competition this season after injuring her shoulder in November.

One of the few skiers to race all four disciplines, Riesch came in third in the overall World Cup standings last season, posting the first three victories of her career.

Her best result this season was a third in a super-G in St. Moritz last month -- a race in which her good friend Lindsey Kildow of the United States finished second.

-The Associated Press