Aksel Lund Svindal could miss alpine skiing season after tearing Achilles

The Norwegian - who also won the title in super-G last year - is a two-time overall World Cup winner, following triumphs in 2007 and 2009.

However, the Olympic Super-G champion from Vancouver four years ago now seems highly unlikely to compete in the upcoming campaign after sustaining the injury in Austria.

The Norwegian Ski Federation declared on Sunday that the 31-year-old was "probably out for most of the season".

"I was out for a little run with the rest of the team in Solden, Austria," Svindal said in a statement on his Facebook page.

"We ended the session playing around with a ball. Just holding it up in the air between us. Suddenly I felt something snap in my leg and I knew right away that something was wrong. Achilles.

"We went straight to the hospital in Innsbruck where I got fast and great service. They concluded the Achilles was torn and after five minutes of talking I went straight to surgery.

"A real injury and extremely bad timing just as the season is about to start. But now that it's happened there's not much I can do. Now it's all about looking ahead.

"Nobody can say 100 per cent sure how long the recovery will take, but I'm ready for the weeks that are coming.

"I'll stay in Austria for a while before I go back to Norway and discuss further rehab with the crew at the Olympic Centre in Oslo."

The FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup season is due to get under way in Austria next week with the men's and women's super-G races.

The first downhill race of the campaign is set for Lake Louise in Canada on November 29.