Lindsey Vonn has broken her silence after she was airlifted off the course following a crash just days before the start of the Olympics.
“I crashed today in the Downhill race in Switzerland and injured my left knee,” Vonn shared via Instagram on Friday, January 30. “I am discussing the situation with my doctors and team and will continue to undergo further exams. 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.”
She continued, “My Olympic dream is not over. Thank you for all of the love and support. I will give more information when I have it. Thank you to all the medical staff who helped me today. I am grateful for all the incredible help I received.”
Vonn sent “her best” to Norwegian skier Marte Monsen, who also crashed on the course on Friday. Monsen, 26, was taken off the course on a stretcher after suffering facial injuries.
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“It’s not over til it’s over…,” Vonn finished her post.
The three-time Olympic medalist was showered with well wishes in the comments section.
“get well soon ❤️❤️❤️,” tennis superstar Coco Gauff wrote.
Olympic legend Simone Biles commented, “sending love babes 🤍🤍🤍🤍.”
WNBA star Cameron Brink said she was “praying” for Vonn after the crash.
“You’re always in forever, my hero! Praying for a quick recovery for you!” model Ashley Graham wrote.
Vonn crashed during her World Cup Race in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, just days away from her scheduled return to the Olympics after an eight-year absence.
Her first event is supposed to be the women’s downhill on Sunday, February 8. She is also planning on competing in the super-G and the new team combined event.
After receiving medical attention on the course for about five minutes, Vonn made her way down to the course’s finish line, clearly in pain.
Vonn entered the medical tent before being airlifted away by helicopter.
According to ESPN, Vonn had “an anxious expression and her eyes were closed during a long embrace with teammate Jacqueline Wiles” before she was taken off the course.
The conditions were brutal on the course Friday, with France’s Romane Miradoli, who managed to finish her run without incident, telling reporters, “You can’t see and it’s bumpy everywhere.”
Vonn, who last competed at the Olympics in 2018, announced her return to alpine skiing in November 2024, just months after having a partial knee replacement.
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Earlier this week, Vonn said she “never thought I would be racing again.”
“I fully retired, I built an amazing life for myself,” she said on the Today show on Monday, January 26. “This was never a part of the plan.”
Vonn credited her team of doctors, surgeons and physical therapists for making her miraculous return a possibility.
“Everyone put in a lot of time and equity into this comeback, which never set out to be a comeback in the first place,” she said. “I can’t believe I’m here, to be honest. But without everyone supporting me, I definitely wouldn’t be here.”
