One of the most audacious bids for an Olympic medal in recent memory ended in heartbreak Sunday.
Lindsey Vonn was airlifted off the mountain after crashing on her first jump in the women’s downhill, less than 30 seconds into the race. She appeared to clip a gate with her pole.
The 41-year-old Vonn, one of the best ski racers of all time, tore her ACL less than two weeks ago in a World Cup race on Jan. 30. She stunned the sports world with her announcement last week that she planned to race at the Olympics despite the injury.
She had retired in 2019 after suffering a series of serious injuries, including one to her right knee that led to a total replacement. But she had dominated the World Cup circuit after unretiring before this season, and was steadfast about competing despite saying she had “completely ruptured” her ACL less than two weeks ago.
Vonn completed two successful test runs in Cortina D’Ampezzo earlier this week before crashing Sunday. Her injury and subsequent airlift delayed the competition by more than 20 minutes; updates on her condition were not immediately available.
Vonn had won Olympic gold in Vancouver in 2010—making her the only American woman ever to do so—before retiring after the 2019 season.
