© Denis Balibouse/Imagn
Lindsey Vonn isn’t giving up on her dream of competing in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina despite a scary crash at Friday’s World Cup downhill event in Crans-Montana, Switzerland.
Vonn, 41, is a three-time Olympic gold medalist, including winning gold in the downhill at the 2010 games in Vancouver. However, a series of serious injuries and surgeries led to her announcing her retirement in 2019.
In November of 2024, Vonn announced she was coming out of retirement following a successful knee replacement surgery that fixed the pain she had been dealing with prior to her retirement. Then, just last month, she became the oldest downhill skiing World Cup winner when she claimed her first victory since 2018 in St. Moritz, Switzerland.
Now, however, Vonn’s Olympic dreams may be dashed just weeks before the competition.
Lindsey Vonn Suffers Scary Crash In World Cup Downhill Event
Vonn suffered an awkward landing and subsequent crash on Friday when landing a jump. The even took place in difficult conditions with low visibility, and Vonn ended up tangled in the safety nets on the upper portion of the course.
Here is the replay of Lindsey Vonn’s crash:#FISAlpine | #WorldCupCransMontana pic.twitter.com/1xhAuQanP0
— Team USA Olympics Updates and Coverage (@TeamUSAOLYCov) January 30, 2026
She then got up after receiving medical attention and walked away gingerly, taking weight off her left knee and using her poles to steady herself. Vonn then skied to the bottom of the mountain, where she was tended to by medical professionals and airlifted to the hospital by helicopter.
On Friday afternoon, Vonn took to Instagram to address the crash and her status.
“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,” Vonn wrote.
“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. Thank you to all the medical staff who helped me today. I am grateful for all the incredible help I received.”
Hopefully, this is just a minor setback for the legendary American skier. But the timing could not have been worse.