Lindsey Vonn’s preparations for the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics took a troubling turn Friday when the American star crashed during the final World Cup downhill before the Games and was airlifted from the course for medical evaluation with a left knee injury.
Vonn, 41, lost control after landing a jump on the upper portion of the course in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, spinning into the safety netting amid snowfall and low visibility. She was the sixth skier to start in the race, which had already seen multiple crashes before her run.
After receiving medical attention on the slope, Vonn was able to stand and slowly ski down to the finish area, but she was favoring her left knee and using her poles for support. She stopped several times on the descent and appeared in visible discomfort. The race was later canceled following the series of crashes.
Vonn’s status for the Olympics is unclear and she said she will undergo further exams on her knee.
“I crashed today in the downhill race in Switzerland and injured my left knee,” Vonn wrote on Instagram. “I am discussing the situation with my doctors and team and will continue to undergo further exams. This is a very difficult outcome one week before the Olympics, but if there’s one thing I know how to do, it’s a comeback. My Olympic dream is not over. Thank you for all of the love and support. I will give more information when I have it. Thank you to all the medical staff who helped me today. I am grateful for all the incredible help I received.”
At the bottom of the course, Vonn embraced teammate Jacqueline Wiles before limping into a medical tent. She was then airlifted by helicopter from the venue, a common procedure at mountain races, with the U.S. Ski Team confirming on social media that Vonn was being evaluated.
“She has some pain so it’s better to have some checks,” Aksel Lund Svindal, the two-time Olympic champion who is part of Vonn’s coaching team, told Reuters. “The physio did some checks, they seemed OK, but there were things he was not 100% sure so it was good to have it checked (at the hospital).”
The crash comes exactly one week before the opening ceremony of the Milan Cortina Games, where Vonn is expected to be one of the sport’s biggest stars. Her first scheduled Olympic event is the women’s downhill two days after the ceremony, with plans to also compete in super-G and the team combined event.
Vonn’s comeback has been one of the most remarkable stories in skiing. After retiring in 2019 due to the physical toll of repeated injuries, she returned to competition following a partial right knee replacement in April 2024. Now skiing with a titanium implant, she has dominated the downhill circuit this season with two wins and podium finishes in every race, leading the discipline standings.
Cortina d’Ampezzo, the Olympic venue for women’s alpine skiing, is also one of Vonn’s most successful stops, where she earned 12 of her 84 career World Cup victories.
Friday’s crash, however, adds uncertainty to her Olympic outlook. Vonn has endured major injuries before, including a devastating knee injury at the 2013 world championships that forced her to miss the 2014 Sochi Olympics.
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