United States' Lindsey Vonn crashes during an alpine ski women's downhill race, at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Sunday, February 8, 2026. JACQUELYN MARTIN / AP
Lindsey Vonn crashed out of the Winter Olympics downhill on Sunday, February 8, ending the American skiing great's improbable dream of winning a medal despite competing with a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament. Vonn was just 13 seconds into her run in bright sunshine in Cortina d'Ampezzo when she lost control, twisted in the air and crumpled in the snow.
The 41-year-old's cries of pain could be heard on the microphones as medical staff attended to the stricken skier on the piste. Thousands of spectators at the bottom of the run fell silent and Vonn's watching sister was ashen-faced. Vonn was eventually strapped into a stretcher and winched into the air by helicopter.
The US superstar, one of global sport's most recognizable faces and an alpine skiing icon, had made a remarkable comeback from retirement in 2024 thanks to a titanium implant in her right knee.
After a superb 2025-2026 season, she seemed in pole position to add to her Olympic gold from the 2010 Vancouver Games. But all her plans were thrown into disarray when she crashed in a World Cup race at Crans Montana, Switzerland, on January 30.
