SUMMARY
- Lindsey Vonn injury comeback ended with a crash seconds into the Olympic downhill.
- Vonn raced despite a recent anterior cruciate ligament rupture.
- Her participation in remaining Olympic events remains uncertain.
Lindsey Vonn’s attempt to return to the Olympic podium ended abruptly Sunday when the American skiing icon crashed during the women’s downhill at the Winter Olympics in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, competing just nine days after a serious knee injury.
The Lindsey Vonn injury storyline became one of the defining moments of the opening days of the Winter Games as the forty one year old American crashed on the Olympia delle Tofane course, forcing a lengthy race stoppage and drawing a standing ovation as she was airlifted from the slope.
Vonn went off a jump, clipped a gate midair and landed sideways before sliding hard into the snow just thirteen seconds into her run. Medics treated her on the course before transporting her by helicopter.
The race was paused for about twenty minutes. She had started thirteenth, with twenty three racers remaining. US teammate Breezy Johnson was leading at the time of the crash.
The Lindsey Vonn injury came just over a week after she ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee during one of her final races before the Olympics.
The injury initially appeared to end her hopes of becoming the oldest Olympic medalist in alpine skiing history.
Instead, Vonn pursued an accelerated rehabilitation process, reaching the starting gate through intensive therapy and limited training runs.
She completed two official downhill training sessions, showing improvement but also signs of compensation.
“An ACL rupture is typically a nine- to twelve month recovery,” said Dr. Bryan Kelly, chief of sports medicine at Hospital for Special Surgery in New York.
“Attempting Olympic downhill racing within days reflects extraordinary physical capacity, but the biomechanical risks are severe.”
Vonn’s coach, former Olympic champion Aksel Lund Svindal, said prior to the race that her biggest challenge was subconscious protection.
“She was landing on one ski more than two,” Svindal said Saturday. “Her body was favoring the right side.”
That right knee underwent partial knee replacement surgery in 2024, enabling Vonn’s return to competition after retiring in 2019 due to cumulative injuries.
International Ski and Snowboard Federation medical advisor Dr. Michel Roth said the Lindsey Vonn injury highlighted the unforgiving nature of speed events.
“Downhill skiing offers no margin for hesitation or imbalance,” Roth said. “Any instability increases crash risk exponentially.”
Johnson said the crash resonated across the field. “Everyone knows what she pushed through,” Johnson said. “It puts everything into perspective when you see someone like that go down.”
US Ski and Snowboard President Sophie Goldschmidt said Vonn’s presence carried broader significance.
“The Lindsey Vonn injury comeback represented resilience and the evolving conversation around athlete longevity,” Goldschmidt said.
Italian race director Paolo Deflorian said conditions met safety standards. “The course was prepared according to regulations,” Deflorian said. “No external factors contributed to the incident.”
Officials have not confirmed whether the Lindsey Vonn injury worsened as a result of the crash. Vonn was originally scheduled to compete in the super-G and team combined events later in the Games.
Her status will depend on medical evaluations conducted in Cortina. The Lindsey Vonn injury brought a dramatic close to one of the most anticipated Olympic storylines.
While her competitive future at these Games remains unclear, Vonn’s decision to race reinforced the physical demands of elite alpine skiing and her enduring impact on the sport’s history.
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