Updated February 8, 2026 at 6:54 AM CST
CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy — American alpine skiing superstar Lindsey Vonn crashed badly just 13 seconds into today's women's downhill race, one of the most eagerly anticipated events of the 2026 Winter Olympics. This ends her dream of coming back from retirement to win another Olympic medal.
Vonn had successfully completed two training runs in the days leading up to the race. But on Sunday, she crashed hard coming off the first jump of the course and had to be airlifted by helicopter off the mountain.
The crash was initiated as Vonn passed through the fourth gate of the race. Her right arm caught the gate and sent her off the jump unbalanced, sending her into the air spinning to her right.
"It looked like Lindsey had incredible speed out of that turn and she hooked her arm and it's just over, just like that" - Bella Wright, US Ski Team
She landed hard on the snow on her right side, her skis perpendicular to the slope, and tumbled. The shocked grandstand fell into silence as a medical team tended to her for more than 10 minutes.
Whether Vonn is injured or how badly is not yet known at this time.
"It's heartbreaking. We were up there, we watched it live. Things just happen so quickly in this sport," said Bella Wright, a ski racer on the U.S. team.
"It looked like Lindsey had incredible speed out of that turn and she hooked her arm and it's just over, just like that," Wright added. "After all the preparation, after years of hard work and rehabilitation...it's the last thing you want to see for Lindsey."
"She's an inspiration to all of us"
The 41-year-old Team USA star, who had already had a decorated career when she retired in 2019, was attempting to stage a comeback within a comeback:
After launching out of retirement straight into the stratosphere of the World Cup downhill standings, she wanted to cap it all off with an Olympic medal barely a week after tearing her ACL.
The downhill race began at 11:30 a.m. local time on the Olimpia delle Tofane ski course in Cortina, a classic and beloved stop on the World Cup circuit.
Cortina has played host to several significant moments of Vonn's career, including her first ever World Cup podium, and the victory that made her the winningest female skier in World Cup history (a title that now belongs to fellow American Mikaela Shiffrin).
That Cortina is hosting the women's alpine events at the 2026 Olympics was a key motivator for Vonn, she told reporters last year.
"If it had been anywhere else, I would probably say it's not worth it," she said in October. "But for me there's something special about Cortina that always pulls me back, and it's pulled me back one last time."
Vonn's comeback began with a partial knee replacement in 2024 that installed a titanium implant in her right knee. Before her ACL tear late last month at a race in Switzerland, Vonn's performance this season had left no room for debate. She was atop the FIS leaderboard with two World Cup wins, bringing her career total to 84, and five other podium finishes.
"She should be really proud of everything she has gone through to get back here," Wright said. "She's an inspiration to all of us and she should be really proud. I know it probably doesn't feel like that right now, but I hope one day she can recognize that."
Team USA skier Breezy Johnson is another medal contender. The 30-year-old is making her return to the Olympics after badly injuring her knee in a series of crashes shortly before the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing.
Two other American skiers — Jackie Wiles and Bella Wright — are also competing. The Tofane course has been beset by fog and light snow in recent days, leading to delays and cancellations of training runs.
Copyright 2026 NPR
