Vonn Gone: Horror Crash Ends US' Ski Legend Lindsey Vonn’s Olympic Comeback | WATCH

Last Updated:February 08, 2026, 18:17 IST

Lindsey Vonn’s Milan-Cortina Olympic comeback ended in a crash just 13 seconds into the downhill, leaving her injured and airlifted.

Lindsey Vonn’s bold Olympic comeback ended in heartbreak on Sunday, her dream of a fairytale medal at the Milan-Cortina Winter Games shattered in a frightening crash just 13 seconds into the women’s downhill.

The American great, racing on the Olimpia delle Tofane slope where she has enjoyed some of the finest moments of her glittering career, lost control almost immediately after pushing out of the gate.

She slammed face-first into the hard snow and tumbled down the course with her skis still attached, a sickening sight that left spectators holding their breath.

Vonn cried out in pain as medical staff quickly surrounded the distraught 41-year-old, before she was airlifted from the course by helicopter to loud applause from the stands.

The crash brought a sudden end to what had been one of the most talked-about stories of the Games. Vonn had taken the extraordinary decision to compete despite suffering a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee just over a week earlier, convinced she could still challenge the world’s best in her favoured discipline. Instead, her daring gamble ended in agony.

US teammate Breezy Johnson, the reigning world downhill champion, watched on in shock from the leader’s chair, while International Ski Federation president Johan Eliasch described the incident as “tragic," adding that it was a reminder of the brutal reality of ski racing. He praised Vonn for what she has given to the sport and wished her a speedy recovery.

Vonn, who retired in 2019 before returning to competition in late 2024 after partial knee replacement surgery, had been in outstanding form this season. She finished on the podium in every World Cup downhill, including wins in St. Moritz and Zauchensee, and added two more top-three finishes in the super-G. Had she arrived uninjured, she would have been a genuine gold-medal contender.

Now, with further events seemingly out of reach, retirement once again looms.

(with AFP inputs)

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