Vienna - Austrian ski hero Hermann Maier may have to to miss upcoming World Cup races in North America due to a back injury, the Austrian ski federation said on Thursday.

Maier, 35, injured his back in mid-October, but the exact nature of the disc injury was not determined until recently.

Maier does not require an operation and his participation in the races in the US and Canada will be decided on short notice. He was not scheduled to compete in a weekend slalom in Finland. The Austrian team leaves Europe on Tuesday.

"I will compete when I am fit, possibly not until December," said Maier, a two-time Olympic champion and four-time winner of the overall World Cup. (dpa)