In the final downhill race before the 2026 Winter Olympics, Lindsey Vonn crashed hard and appeared to injure her left leg just seconds into her run.
The spill happened so quickly that when the broadcast cut to the second sector turn, Vonn didn’t appear in the frame. Play-by-play commentator Nick Fellows wondered aloud where the St. Paul, Minnesota superstar could be, until another camera angle showed her off to the side, wrapped in course netting.
The 41-year-old lay there for about 5-10 minutes, hardly moving, as the Crans Montana, Switzerland crowd and the world held their collective breaths.
On-site medical professionals sprung onto the scene to tend to Vonn, and a helicopter was prepared to lift her off the piste if necessary.
Vonn eventually stood up and shuffled gingerly through the snow, visibly grimacing in pain. Remarkably, the hard-nosed Olympic gold medalist decided to ski down the mountain, despite clearly having trouble putting weight on her leg.
A few hours later, she took to Instagram to provide an update.
“I crashed today in the Downhill race in Switzerland and injured my left knee. I am discussing the situation with my doctors and team and will continue to undergo further exams,” she said.
“This is a very difficult outcome one week before the Olympics… but if there’s one thing I know how to do, it’s a comeback.
“My Olympic dream is not over. Thank you for all of the love and support. I will give more information when I have it.”
The scene at Friday’s race strikingly was reminiscent of her heroics during a Lienz, Austria giant slalom in December 2009 when she lost her balance and fell on her arm. Wearing a makeshift sling, Vonn famously completed her descent. She went on to win downhill gold in the 2010 Vancouver Games a little over a month later.
Out of the six competitors who left the starting gates in Crans Montana, three fell, with Vonn’s nasty tumble causing a race interruption, and ultimately, a cancellation due to bad incoming weather, a slick course and visibility issues.
On the broadcast, Jacqueline Wiles (USA), who wore bib No. 4 and was sitting in the leader’s chair, could be heard saying that her own run was “scary.”
The results will not count, as fewer than 30 athletes wound up racing.
Vonn’s fairytale World Cup season began with a downhill victory at the St. Moritz, Switzerland opener in December, which made her the oldest Alpine skier ever to win a Cup event.