CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy — Lindsey Vonn’s dramatic attempt to win an Olympic medal at the 2026 Winter Games ended in heartbreak Sunday when the American skiing icon suffered a violent crash just seconds into the women’s downhill final and was airlifted off the course for medical evaluation.
The 41-year-old, one of the most decorated alpine skiers in history, had just launched her run on the Olimpia delle Tofane course when she clipped a gate roughly 13 seconds into the race. Vonn lost control at high speed, was thrown from her skis and tumbled onto the snow in a fall that drew audible gasps from the crowd. Moments later, she was attended to by medical teams before being placed on a gurney and flown by helicopter to a nearby hospital. �
Vonn’s presence in Cortina was already a remarkable story. Just nine days earlier, she ruptured her left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in a World Cup race in Switzerland — an injury that typically sidelines athletes for months. Despite the severity of that injury, which she disclosed publicly, Vonn elected to compete at the Olympics and even completed training runs earlier in the week with the help of a knee brace. �
The atmosphere at the top of the course turned somber as the magnitude of the crash became clear. Fellow competitors paused, and spectators stood in stunned silence. Vonn was widely expected to be a contender for a medal even under compromised physical conditions, a testament to her fierce competitiveness and storied career.
As the race resumed, Vonn’s U.S. teammate Breezy Johnson clinched the gold medal, the first for the United States at these Games, with Germany’s Emma Aicher taking silver and Italy’s Sofia Goggia earning bronze. �
Tributes poured in from around the skiing world, praising Vonn’s bravery and contributions to the sport. While official details of her condition have not been released, the severity of the crash and her recent injuries raise serious questions about her immediate future in competitive skiing. �
