Val d'Isere, France  - Overall World Cup leader Ivica Kostelic left the alpine ski world championships on Saturday to undergo treatment at home in Croatia for a back injury.

Kostelic, 29, may return to participate in the slalom next Sunday, Croatian ski federation manager Vedran Pavlek said.

The back problem had forced Kostelic, who won slalom gold at the 2003 world championships, to miss the super-g and Saturday's downhill. (dpa)