Lindsey Vonn crashes days before Winter Olympics but insists Olympic dream ‘not over’

Lindsey Vonn has sparked concern ahead of the Winter Olympics after crashing during a World Cup downhill race in Switzerland, though she says her Olympic hopes remain alive.

The American ski star injured her left knee following a fall early in Friday’s downhill in Crans-Montana. After losing balance on a jump, Vonn slid into the safety nets and remained on the course for several minutes as medical staff attended to her.

The 41-year-old was seen favouring her left knee as she stood using her poles for support. She then skied slowly to the finish, stopping several times, before limping into a medical tent. Vonn was later airlifted from the venue by helicopter for further assessment.

‘My Olympic dream is not over’

In a post on Instagram, Vonn said she was consulting with her doctors and team and undergoing further examinations.

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“This is a very difficult outcome one week before the Olympics,” she wrote. “But if there’s one thing I know how to do, it’s a comeback. My Olympic dream is not over.”

The race was later cancelled due to deteriorating visibility. Women’s World Cup race director Peter Gerdol said conditions had become too dangerous, with multiple athletes making mistakes as visibility worsened.

Comeback under threat?

Vonn retired from competitive skiing in 2019 but returned after watching the 2022 Beijing Olympics. She underwent knee replacement surgery in 2024 and rejoined the World Cup circuit later that year.

In December, she claimed her first World Cup win in nearly six years and followed it with another victory earlier this month, reinforcing her bid for a return to the Olympic stage.

Vonn is a three-time Olympic medallist, having won gold in downhill and bronze in super-G at the 2010 Vancouver Games, as well as bronze in downhill at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics.

The Olympic women’s downhill is scheduled for February 8 at the Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy.