World Cup overall leader Lindsey Vonn suffered an injury to her left arm during the first leg of the giant slalom race in Linz on Monday.

Vonn overcompensated after coming late out of a turn halfway down the course and clipped the next gate and did the splits before her skis buckled underneath her and bounced her onto her back.

The paramedics were called as the shaken 25-year-old remained sat on the slope for several minutes before getting unaided to her feet and skiing the rest of the way down the mountain, arm in sling, the AFP said.

The American told ORF television that she felt a "sharp pain in her left hand and wrist".

"I'll go to hospital to have an x-ray. I hope it's not too serious."