Sandra Robatscher competed at the Sochi 2014and Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics ©Getty Images

Former European medallist Sandra Robatscher will miss the entire 2020-2021 luge season after undergoing shoulder surgery.

The Italian suffered a training crash in Königssee in Germany, which required her to have the season-ending operation.

The 24-year-old was a women's singles bronze medallist at the 2018 European Champions in Sigulda in Latvia.

In February 2019, Robatscher earned a first and only International Luge Federation (FIL) World Cup win in Altenberg in Germany.

At Winterberg in Germany, she placed ninth in the 2019 World Championships.


"After the crash in the labyrinth at Königssee, I had to undergo my third shoulder surgery," the two-time Olympian explained.

"But I'm staying strong and will come back even stronger."

The 2020-2021 FIL World Cup season is set to start on November 28 in Innsbruck in Austria, with no spectators present.

The coronavirus pandemic has already had an impact on the World Cup itinerary, with only one event outside of Europe remaining - in China, although that could yet be called off - and Canadian and American teams not competing until 2021 at the earliest.