Updated: October 1, 2009, 10:40 AM ET
Defago expected to miss first race
ZERMATT, Switzerland -- Swiss skier Didier Defago has broken his right thumb and is expected to miss the opening race of the World Cup season.
Defago fell during a downhill training run in Zermatt, Switzerland, on Thursday and is scheduled to undergo surgery later in the day.
He is unlikely to be ready for a giant slalom on Oct. 25 at Soelden, Austria.
The 31-year-old Defago broke through last season when he won back-to-back classic downhill races in January at Wengen, Switzerland, and Kitzbuehel, Austria.
It's the second injury setback this week for the Swiss team. Teenager Lara Gut, a possible medal contender at the Vancouver Olympics in February, dislocated her right hip in a training fall.
Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press
