Team USA is holding its breath after a frightening crash sent Lindsey Vonn into the safety nets and off the course just one week before the Winter Olympics.
The 41-year-old American ski star crashed Friday during a World Cup downhill race in Crans-Montana, losing control upon landing a jump and becoming tangled in the nets on the upper section of the course. The race, run in poor visibility and deteriorating conditions, was later canceled.
After receiving medical attention for several minutes, Vonn managed to get back on her skis but appeared to be in pain, repeatedly stopping on her way down and clutching her left knee. She skied slowly to the finish area before limping into a medical tent and being airlifted away by helicopter for further evaluation.
The U.S. Ski Team said on social media that Vonn was undergoing medical checks. Her emotional reaction before being evacuated underscored the gravity of the moment, as she embraced teammate Jacqueline Wiles, who had been leading the race when it was stopped.
“I know she hurt her knee,” said Urs Lehmann, CEO of the International Ski and Snowboard Federation. “I don’t know if it’s really heavy and if she will miss the Olympics. Let’s wait for what the doctors are saying.”
The crash came at the worst possible time. Vonn’s first Olympic race — the women’s downhill — is scheduled for Feb. 8 at the Milan Cortina Games, with additional starts planned in the super-G and the new team combined event. Women’s alpine skiing will be held in Cortina d’Ampezzo, a venue where Vonn holds a record 12 World Cup victories.
Friday’s race had already seen multiple accidents. Austria’s Nina Ortlieb and Norway’s Marte Monsen both crashed earlier, with Monsen taken away in a sled. Despite delays, Wiles and Olympic champion Corinne Suter completed their runs before Vonn’s fall prompted officials to call off the race entirely.
Visibility was a major concern. France’s Romane Miradoli said snowfall made it difficult to see the course, calling the conditions dangerous.
Vonn had been skiing brilliantly this season after a remarkable comeback at age 40, returning to competition nearly six years after stepping away from the sport. Racing with a partial titanium implant in her right knee, she had been the World Cup’s dominant downhiller, posting two wins and three additional podium finishes in five downhill races. Including super-G, she finished on the podium in seven of eight starts this season.
[US, Mexico & Canada customers only] Jan 10, 2026; Zauchensee, AUSTRIA; Lindsey Vonn of the United States celebrates on the podium after winning the women’s downhill alpine skiing race in the FIS World Cup at Zauchensee. Mandatory Credit: Leonhard Foeger/Reuters via Imagn Images
The crash also revived painful memories from Vonn’s career. In 2013, she was airlifted off the course after a devastating knee injury at the world championships in Austria, an injury that ultimately caused her to miss the 2014 Sochi Olympics.
Friday’s race unfolded against a somber backdrop in Crans-Montana, which is still mourning a deadly New Year’s Day fire that killed 40 people. A minute of silence was observed, and the finish area was draped in black and white banners reading “Our thoughts are with you.”
For now, the skiing world waits on medical news — and rallies behind one of its most resilient champions — hoping Lindsey Vonn will once again defy the odds and make it to the Olympic старт line.
