Lindsey Vonn was airlifted off the course after a crash in Switzerland, just days before she is scheduled to make her miraculous return to the Olympics.
Vonn, 41, lost control during her World Cup Race in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, on Friday, January 30, eventually ending up tangled in the course’s safety nets.
After receiving medical assistance on the course for roughly five minutes, she skied down to the finish line, clearly in pain. Vonn was forced to stop multiple times, grabbing at her left knee.
Near the finish line, Vonn made her way into the medical tent before being airlifted away by a helicopter.
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Vonn “had an anxious expression and her eyes were closed during a long embrace with teammate Jacqueline Wiles” before she was transported off the course, according to ESPN.
Two other skiers also crashed on the course before Vonn, as the race was held under intense weather conditions.
Vonn broke her silence about the crash with a post on social media.
“I crashed today in the Downhill race in Switzerland and injured my left knee,” Vonn shared via Instagram on Friday. “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.”
“You can’t see and it’s bumpy everywhere,” said France’s Romane Miradoli, who managed to finish her run without incident.
The race was canceled after Vonn’s crash.
“I know she hurt her knee, I talked to her,” International Ski and Snowboard Federation CEO Urs Lehmann told reporters on site. “I don’t know if it’s really heavy and [if] she won’t miss the Olympics. Let’s wait for what the doctors are saying.”
Vonn’s first scheduled Olympic event is the women’s downhill on Sunday, February 8. She is also planning on competing in the super-G and the new team combined event.
The 2026 Winter Olympics officially get underway on Wednesday, February 4, with the Opening Ceremony taking place on Friday, February 6.
Vonn, a three-time Olympic medallist, last competed in the Games in 2018. She announced her return to alpine skiing in November 2024 just months after having a partial knee replacement.
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“After a lot of thought, research and talking to many many doctors, I made the decision to get a knee replacement,” Vonn shared via Instagram in April 2024. “I have severe tri-compartment degeneration but the main compartment that has been painful is the lateral compartment, or the outside of my knee.”
She added, “I got to the point where it was too much and my knee could not handle doing the things I love to do … Appreciate all of the well wishes 🙏🏻 Means a lot to me. But don’t worry, this is just another bump in the road in my journey through life and you know I’ll be back up and running asap 💪🏻 can’t hold me down for long!”
Vonn explained why she was motivated to return to the Olympics during an interview with SELF magazine in January.
“This is 24 years after my first Olympics. I’ve won everything I could have ever won. I’m not doing this to prove anything to anyone,” she said. “I’m doing this because I think I can do well, it’s a meaningful place for me, and I think I can make a positive impact.”
