Lindsey Vonn Suffers Major Crash At Winter Olympics

By Luisa Farole

41-year-old Lindsey Vonn had her Olympic comeback dreams crushed as she suffered a devastating crash only 13 seconds into her downhill final on Feb. 8.

 After returning from retirement this season after 6 years, the American alpine skier had set her sights on becoming the oldest alpine Olympic medalist.

Vonn is a three time olympic medalist, winning a gold in downhill and a bronze in the “super-G” in 2010 and a bronze in downhill in 2018. Additionally, she has 84 World Cup wins. 

The road to the 2026 games was not an easy one for Vonn, who, only 9 days before she was set to race, suffered a complete rupture to the ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) in her left knee. Despite the risks of further injury, Vonn shared her plans to go ahead with her plan to compete in her fifth Olympic Games. 

Competing in the dangerous sport of downhill skiing, her history of injuries is lengthy. Since her World Cup debut in the 2000s, she has suffered a number of broken bones, ligament ruptures, and even had a partial knee replacement in 2024. 

After receiving treatment on the course for a prolonged amount of time, Vonn was airlifted to a nearby hospital. Afterwards, she shared on her Instagram that she had suffered a complex tibia fracture that would require multiple surgeries. The crash came as a result of Vonn brushing a gate with her right shoulder, throwing her off balance. 

Vonn continued to update her fans via her Instagram account, sharing on Feb. 17 that after four surgeries, she was able to return home to the US, where she continues to receive treatment. She stressed the severity of her injury, explaining that it was way worse than “just a broken leg” and that she hadn’t been able to stand since her injury occurred.

She has a long recovery ahead, and this time, it is unlikely she will return to the slopes professionally.