Lindsey Vonn crashes while competing with torn ACL at Winter Olympics with American skier treated on the slopes
Lindsey Vonn suffered another crash at the Winter Olympics; American skier was competing in first event after tearing ACL in accident days before start of the Games; the 41-year-old still decided to compete and needed treatment on the slopes after screaming out in pain
Sunday 8 February 2026 14:18, UK
American skier Lindsey Vonn has crashed while competing with a torn ACL at the Winter Olympics.
The 41-year-old had suffered a bad crash just days before the start of the Games but decided to compete regardless of a torn ACL.
On Sunday, however, in her first event in Milan she crashed again after clipping one of the gates and needed treatment on the slopes.
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Vonn lost control over the opening traverse after cutting the line too tight and was spun around. She fell heavily, sprawling through the snow as she tumbled down the slope. The race was put on hold as medics attended to her.
It left the crowd in stunned silence, so much so that Vonn's cries of pain could be clearly heard.
Vonn had family in the stands, including her father, Alan Kildow, who stared down at the ground while his daughter was being treated.
She was surrounded by medical personnel before she was strapped to a gurney and flown away by a helicopter, possibly ending the skier's storied career.
All eyes had been on Vonn as the feelgood story heading into the Olympics. She returned to elite ski racing last season after nearly six years away from the circuit - and with a partial titanium knee replacement in her right knee too.
Her surgery in April 2024 left her feeling so good that she had decided to attempt another Olympics appearance.
She stunned everyone by being a contender almost immediately. She came to the Olympics as the leader in the World Cup downhill standings and was a gold-medal favourite before her crash in Switzerland nine days ago.
That accident on the eve of the Games left her with a tall order just to get to the start line. Vonn, though, had successfully completed two practice runs on the Cortina course on Friday and Saturday, wearing a brace on her injured knee, and her coach Aksel Lund Svindal felt she was in "good enough" condition to challenge for a medal.
However, her hopes of a fairytale comeback were dashed again with another horrific crash.
Team-mates pay tribute to 'mentor' Vonn
Vonn's fellow American Breezy Johnson took the title but some of her first thoughts were for her team-mate.
"My heart goes out to her. I hope it's not as bad as it looked," she said.
"I know how difficult it is to ski this course and how sometimes, because you love this course so much, when you crash on it and hurts you like that, it hurts that much worse."
Another team-mate, fourth-placed Jacqueline Wiles, spoke of Vonn's influence over the squad.
She said: "I'm still processing a lot, after what happened with Lindsey. She looks hurt quite a bit. So I'm really happy, proud of Breezy and my heart hurts for Lindsey.
"We're such a tight group. Lindsey has really been a huge mentor for all of us.
"It doesn't change anything about her legacy. She's a fighter and that's the way that she's going to go out and ski every time."
