Olympic downhill champion Matthias Mayer's season is over after the Austrian injured his back in a crash Saturday, the Austrian Ski Federation (OSV) said.

Mayer underwent surgery in Innsbruck on Saturday after fracturing a vertebrae in a crash during the World Cup event in Val Gardena, Italy.

He had to be airlifted to hospital by helicopter after falling heavily on his back.

The OSV initially had said they expected Mayer to be out for just four weeks.