American skiing legend Lindsey Vonn crashed during the women’s downhill race at the Winter Olympics, just nine days after suffering a serious ligament injury to her left knee.
The 41-year-old had completed two solid training runs on the famous Olimpia delle Tofane course in Cortina, but her race ended abruptly after she lost control early in her descent. Medical staff attended to her for an extended period on the slope before she was airlifted off the piste by helicopter.
Vonn’s decision to compete had already been viewed as a major gamble. She had ruptured her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in Switzerland during the final World Cup event before the Games. Despite the injury, she chose to race, insisting these Olympics would be the final chapter of her career.
Spectators watched in silence before applauding as the helicopter carried her away from a course where she enjoyed immense success, recording 12 of her 84 World Cup victories.
The crash occurred after Vonn clipped the first gate, throwing her off balance while entering a turn. She was the 13th skier to start the race. The lengthy medical intervention caused a significant delay, with fellow American Breezy Johnson leading the competition at the time. Johnson appeared visibly distressed as she followed the rescue from the finish area.
Vonn had looked calm and confident in training and earlier on race day. Her coach, Aksel Lund Svindal, had expressed optimism that she could deliver a remarkable performance despite the risks.
One of the most decorated athletes in alpine skiing, Vonn retired in 2019 after a career marked by repeated serious injuries. She stunned the skiing world with a comeback in 2024 following a partial knee replacement on her right leg. Her form during the 2025–26 season had been impressive, with podium finishes in all five races, including two victories, making her a contender for a medal in Cortina.
This latest fall, however, casts serious doubt over whether she will race competitively again.
Ahead of the event, Vonn openly acknowledged the danger of competing and publicly responded to a doctor who questioned the severity of her injury, stating that her ACL was “100% torn”. She had hoped to defy expectations, just as she did when she won Olympic downhill gold in Vancouver in 2010.
Footage shared online showed her training intensely in the gym, while she reported no swelling or pain in her knee. Her smooth training runs had boosted confidence within her team and among fans.
Former British Olympian Chemmy Alcott, speaking emotionally on BBC coverage, said she never expected Vonn’s career to end in such circumstances. She described the upper section of the course as “brutal” even for fully fit athletes and warned that the physical toll of such crashes is far greater for someone with Vonn’s injury history.
Alcott also noted that the prolonged interruption would affect snow conditions as temperatures rose, making it unlikely that any skier would beat Johnson’s leading time of 1 minute 36.10 seconds.
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