Lindsey Vonn 'sustained an injury' but is in 'stable condition' after crash in women's downhill

MILAN — After a devastating crash just 13 seconds into her downhill run, Lindsey Vonn is in stable condition, according to U.S. Ski & Snowboard.

Vonn came into the Olympics as one of Team USA’s biggest stars, thanks both to her longevity and her determination. She retired after the 2018 Olympics, betrayed by her body and unable to compete at a world-class level. But a 2024 partial knee replacement changed her entire future, allowing her to return to the slopes and work herself into Olympic shape. 

She earned her way onto the U.S. team with an array of podium finishes and two World Cup victories. But just a week before the start of the Winter Olympics, Vonn ruptured her left ACL in Switzerland. She spoke at a press conference on Tuesday affirming her intention to compete, and posted respectable times in her two training runs. 

But her Olympic dreams vanished almost immediately into her run on Sunday morning. Her pole and shoulder caught a gate near the top of the mountain, spinning her sideways and sending her tumbling off the course. Her skis dug into the snow, twisting both knees and leaving her prone and bent on the hillside. A helicopter arrived within 10 minutes to evacuate her from the course, and after about 20 minutes, the event continued. Vonn’s teammate Breezy Johnson won gold, but the mood in Cortina in the wake of Vonn’s crash was somber.

U.S. Ski & Snowboard initially released a statement that read only, “Lindsey Vonn fell in the Olympic downhill and will be evaluated by medical staff.”