MILAN — Lindsey Vonn’s remarkable return to competition concluded in the most disheartening manner imaginable, in MILAN.
Entering the women’s downhill competition as the 13th starter among 36 contenders, Vonn launched from the gate around midday on the challenging 2,572-meter Olympia Delle Tofane slope. Almost instantly, her right shoulder brushed against one of the course markers. This contact caused her to lose control, sending her spiraling over a jump and tumbling uncontrollably on her skis.
Below, the onlookers observed in complete astonishment, utterly silent.
Vonn lay motionless on the powdery ground, her cries distinctly picked up by the cameras right after the impact. Paramedics tended to her while the race was temporarily suspended. Placed on a stretcher, a rescue chopper idled overhead, poised to airlift her from the peaks — mirroring a similar incident in Switzerland barely a week prior when she sustained an ACL tear. A quarter of an hour following the incident, Vonn was raised from the terrain and into the elevated yellow aircraft.
U.S. Ski & Snowboard issued no instant update regarding Vonn’s physical state, stating in an official announcement, “Lindsey Vonn experienced a fall during the Olympic downhill event and will undergo assessment by medical personnel.”
“It was frightening, since the sight of a stretcher being brought out is never a positive indicator,” Vonn’s sibling, Karin Kildow, shared with NBC. “We were just remarking on her bravery, much like the man in the arena; she truly gave her absolute best. It’s incredibly difficult to witness, and we simply wish for her well-being.”
A mountain rescue helicopter is seen rescuing Lindsey Vonn of Team United States after she crashed during the Women’s Downhill on day two of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics at Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre on February 08, 2026 in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy.
(Ezra Shaw via Getty Images)
Lower down the incline, Vonn’s American teammate Breezy Johnson remained seated silently, having recorded the quickest time on the track, a look of worry clearly etched on her countenance.
This Sunday represented the concluding chapter of Vonn’s extraordinary saga, a narrative filled with abrupt changes and intense developments mirroring any demanding downhill slope. Vonn, a recipient of three Olympic medals during her initial professional period, ceased competing in 2019, her physique worn out despite her resilient determination. Throughout her athletic tenure, she had accumulated more World Cup triumphs than any other female competitor; however, by the time she stepped down, those victories were merely recollections. Incapable of even brief walks without discomfort, Vonn accepted a existence away from skiing, exploring avenues ranging from television celebrity to charitable endeavors.
During 2024, she chose to have a partial knee replacement surgery, aiming for a future free from incapacitating discomfort. Yet, an astonishing event transpired: Vonn discovered that the agony, every bit of it, had vanished from her troubled knee. Subsequently, a thought emerged in her consciousness: What if she returned to the ski runs for one final attempt?
“I genuinely believed my career concluded when I retired in 2019,” Vonn remarked recently. “I had established a wonderful existence, feeling quite content. However, following the replacement procedure, I recognized a significant change. My physical state felt so optimal, and I simply continued to challenge myself progressively to ascertain my capabilities, with competitive skiing appearing as the natural progression.”
She had endured the entirety of the 2022 Beijing Olympics with a sense of slight annoyance, receiving accounts from companions and other athletes describing the slopes there as perfectly suited for her abilities. Therefore, the knowledge that the 2026 Games were scheduled for Cortina d’Ampezzo — the location of her initial World Cup top-three finish, followed by eleven others, including half a dozen victories — solidified Vonn’s decision. She resolved to undertake a return to the sport unparalleled in its annals.
“I doubt I would have embarked on this return if the Olympic event hadn’t been in Cortina,” Vonn stated. “Had it been situated elsewhere, I would likely have deemed it unworthy. But personally, Cortina possesses a unique allure that consistently draws me back, and it has done so for this final occasion.”
A Team USA supporter looks on after US’ Lindsey Vonn crashed and was evacuated by helicopter in the women’s downhill event during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at the Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre in Cortina d’Ampezzo on February 8, 2026. (Photo by Stefano RELLANDINI / AFP via Getty Images)
(STEFANO RELLANDINI via Getty Images)
Immediately upon announcing her intentions, Vonn encountered censure regarding her reasons, her supposed self-interest, and even her psychological condition. Esteemed Olympic champion Franz Klammer proclaimed that “She has lost her mind entirely,” a statement which represented one of the more charitable judgments.
Nevertheless, Vonn persevered in her skiing, and before long, she started ascending in the rankings of World Cup competitions. She significantly surpassed U.S. Ski and Snowboarding’s criteria for evaluating prospective Olympic team participants, initially securing podium positions, and subsequently achieving two additional World Cup triumphs.
Throughout this period, she transformed from a heartwarming narrative and the primary focus of NBC’s Olympic reporting into a credible contender for a medal. Holding the sixth position in the World Cup standings only seven days prior to the commencement of the Games, Vonn appeared poised to achieve a feat that transcended even fantastical tales.
Then, calamity struck. Merely seven days before the Opening Ceremony, on a Swiss mountainside already notorious for multiple accidents, Vonn careened off the track and collided with a protective barrier. She struggled to stand, pain clearly etched across her features, and necessitated evacuation by helicopter from the site. Shortly thereafter, medical professionals informed her of a complete tear in her left ACL. Vonn’s Olympic return, it appeared, was destined to be an inspiring but ultimately incomplete narrative.
However, Lindsey Vonn possesses, to use the common idiom, a unique constitution. On Tuesday, four days subsequent to her accident and two days ahead of her initial planned downhill training, Vonn declared that indeed, her ACL was fully ruptured, and no, she had no intention of pulling out of the Olympic competition.
“This is, undeniably, not what I had envisioned,” Vonn articulated. “I have dedicated immense effort to arrive at these Games in a significantly altered state. I am aware of my prospects prior to the incident, and I understand my prospects are not identical as of this moment, but I recognize that a possibility still exists, and as long as that possibility remains, I shall persist.”
Subsequently, she shared footage showcasing herself engaging in weightlifting and performing jumps on her knee without an intact ACL, simultaneously refuting social media assessments concerning both her injury and her underlying reasons.
Thus, as Sunday morning broke over Cortina d’Ampezzo, Vonn was presented with the chance to conjure an extraordinary moment. With global attention fixated upon her, she pursued it. And despite the conclusion being tragic, the progression itself was truly remarkable to witness.
