Vonn crashes in Olympic downhill after ACL injury

What’s Happening

Listen up: Lindsey Vonn crashes in the women’s downhill competition at the Winter Olympics nine days after rupturing her left anterior cruciate ligament.

Vonn crashes in Olympic downhill after ACL injury Media caption, Vonn crashes out of Winter Olympics downhill By Jess Anderson BBC Sport journalist in Cortina Published 8 February 2026, 11:11 GMT Updated 7 minutes ago American skier Lindsey Vonn crashed out of the womens downhill competition at the Winter Olympics nine days after rupturing ligaments in her left knee. The 41-year-old had successfully completed two training runs on the iconic Olimpia delle Tofane course in Cortina but crashed early in her run. (we’re not making this up)

She was tended to for a lengthy period on the slope before being airlifted off the piste.

The Details

Vonn was taking a huge risk Sunday having suffered the ACL injury in Switzerland in the last World Cup race before the Games. But she was determined to take to the course in what she says will be her final Olympics.

Stunned spectators in the stands applauded towards the helicopter as it carried her away from the piste which has brought her so much success in the past - with 12 of her 84 World Cup wins coming here. Vonn had been unsure what her knee was capable of withstanding but had targeted the downhill as her favoured event while also being entered in the super-G and team events.

Why This Matters

It is now unlikely she will compete in any of those, meaning her Olympic career has likely come to a devastating end. Vonn was the 13th skier to go in the womens downhill and clipped the first gate which put her off balance as she was turning when she crashed. The treatment she needed after the crash led to a significant delay to the competition, which compatriot Breezy Johnson led at the time.

This is the kind of move that can define a season.

Key Takeaways

• Johnson held her head in her hands as she watched her team-mate carried away .
• Vonn had appeared relaxed in the training runs and in the morning before the race.
• Her coach Aksel Lund Svindal dropped on Friday that he felt confident she could pull off something spectacular.

The Bottom Line

Vonn had appeared relaxed in the training runs and in the morning before the race. Her coach Aksel Lund Svindal dropped on Friday that he felt confident she could pull off something spectacular.

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