Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn suffered a horrific crash in the women’s downhill race at the Cortina Winter Olympics on Sunday, ending her hopes of making a long-awaited return and potentially ending her storied career.
The 41-year-old American skiing legend lost control after cutting too tightly on the early traverse line. She was seen spinning in the air and then heard screaming that she couldn’t take off her skis. Bong was immediately surrounded by medical personnel, strapped to a stretcher and taken away by helicopter. The stunned crowd watched in silence.
According to the Associated Press, a mandatory safety airbag under Vonn’s racing suit inflated during the crash, which may have cushioned her fall. After the crash, Vonn was heard screaming as she was unable to take off her skis.
Just nine days earlier, Vonn had torn the anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee during the final downhill race of the World Cup in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, on Friday.
The women’s downhill race then resumed, and was won by her American teammate Breezy Johnson, the reigning world champion. “I hope it’s not as bad as it looks,” Johnson said of Vonn’s accident.
“Sometimes you love this course so much that when you hit it and it hurts like that, it hurts even more. My heart just goes out to her,” Johnson added.
Vonn’s return from retirement has been one of the most important storylines for the U.S. Olympic team in the lead-up to the Olympics.
The skiing legend retired in 2019 due to a lingering knee injury, but announced he would return in 2024 after undergoing partial knee replacement surgery to extend his career. She ranks second in World Cup history with 84 wins, only behind fellow American Shiffrin’s 108 wins.
