Lindsey Vonn's long-anticipated Olympic comeback was cut short Sunday after the American ski legend crashed early during the women's downhill final at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.
Vonn, 41, lost control just seconds into her run on the Olympia delle Tofane course after clipping a gate with her right arm. The impact sent her tumbling down the slope, prompting an immediate stoppage of the race as medical personnel attended to her on the snow. She was later airlifted off the mountain by helicopter, according to the Associated Press.
Officials confirmed that Vonn was transported to a hospital in Treviso, where she underwent surgery to stabilize a fracture in her left leg. Hospital officials and U.S. Ski & Snowboard said she is currently in stable condition. The injury occurred on the same leg where Vonn had suffered a complete ACL rupture just nine days earlier during a World Cup crash in Crans-Montana, Switzerland. A mandatory safety air bag worn beneath her racing suit reportedly deployed during the fall.
The crash marked a difficult moment in what had been one of the most remarkable comeback attempts in Olympic skiing history. Vonn, a three-time Olympic medalist and the most successful female World Cup skier of all time, retired in 2019 before returning to competition following a partial knee replacement in 2024. Cortina d'Ampezzo, the site of many of her career milestones, was expected to be her final Olympic stage.
Despite the incident, tributes quickly poured in from teammates and competitors. Fellow American Breezy Johnson went on to win gold for Team USA but said afterward that her thoughts remained with Vonn.
While Vonn has said she is not strictly religious, she has often spoken publicly about prayer and trusting that God has a plan during challenging moments-sentiments that now accompany her recovery following another defining chapter in her career.
Related: Lindsey Vonn Breaks Silence After Olympic Crash, Reveals "Complex Tibia Fracture"
