Lindsey Vonn’s hopes of winning a fourth Olympic medal received a blow on Friday as she crashed out of her final downhill race before the Games.
The American now faces a race against time to be fit for the start of Milano-Cortina 2026 after she was left limping following a crash in the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana.
Vonn lost control when landing a jump in the World Cup race and ended up tangled in the safety nets on the upper portion of the course.
She eventually got up after receiving medical attention and walked away gingerly, taking weight off her left knee and using her poles to steady herself. She then clicked her skis back on but stopped to check her left knee and was in visible discomfort.
The 41-year-old eventually made it to the finish area and limped into a tent for medical attention.
The race was first shortened as a result of poor weather conditions before organisers took the decision to cancel as snow continued to fall.
Three of the first six racers crashed; Nina Ortlieb of Austria and Marte Monsen of Norway were the others to abandon their runs, the latter taken away on a stretcher with a bloodied face. Vonn was the sixth racer on the course.
Vonn, the 2010 Olympic champion in downhill, has been the red-hot favourite for another gold in Milano-Cortina after a phenomenal start to her season, having won two races and picked up a further three podium finishes in the discipline.
She initially retired in 2019, citing injuries, but returned in 2024 after a partial right knee titanium replacement.
The crash occurred exactly a week before the Milan Cortina opening ceremony, with the women’s downhill – Vonn’s first race of the Games – taking place on 8 February.
Romane Miradoli of France, who did complete her run, said visibility was an issue, with snow falling. “You can’t see and it’s bumpy everywhere,” she said.
Additional reporting by AP
