Lindsey Vonn crashes in 2026 Olympic downhill, airlifted after early fall in Cortina

Lindsey Vonn’s bid to cap a comeback with an Olympic downhill run ended abruptly Sunday, February 8, 2026, when she crashed just seconds after leaving the start gate in Cortina d’Ampezzo and was airlifted from the course for medical evaluation. The fall froze the venue into near-silence, paused the race, and instantly shifted the conversation from medals to the severity of the latest blow to one of alpine skiing’s most decorated careers.

What happened in the crash

Vonn, 41, clipped a gate and lost control early on the steep opening section of the women’s downhill. The crash came about 13 seconds into her run, leaving her sliding and tumbling before coming to a stop as medical teams rushed in.

After on-snow treatment, she was placed on a backboard and transported by helicopter. A brief update later in the day described her as stable while she was assessed by medical staff. Specific injury details were not publicly confirmed immediately.

The downhill course in Cortina is built for speed and commitment from the first turns. When a racer gets off-line near the top, there is little time to recover before the terrain changes and jumps amplify any instability.

The risk factor: racing with a torn ACL

Vonn’s decision to start the Olympic downhill carried unusual risk. In the days leading into the race, she had acknowledged a significant left-knee injury, including a torn ACL from a crash in late January. That context turned her Olympic appearance into a test of how far elite athletes can push pain management and bracing in a speed discipline that punishes small mistakes.

Downhill skiing demands high-force landings, rapid edge transitions, and stable rotation under load—exactly the movements most compromised by an ACL injury. Even with strong conditioning and protective bracing, the margin for error is thin, and any unexpected compression or late correction can cascade quickly.

Video of Lindsey Vonn crash today fuels fresh debate over racing while injured

Sunday’s crash also marked the second medical air evacuation for Vonn in roughly nine days, heightening concern about cumulative trauma and what a safe return-to-competition timeline could look like from here.

A bittersweet U.S. triumph in the same race

The race continued after the stoppage, and the United States still emerged with a marquee result: Breezy Johnson won the women’s downhill gold in 1:36.10, edging Germany’s Emma Aicher by 0.04 seconds. Italy’s Sofia Goggia took bronze.

The podium gave the U.S. its first medal of the Milan-Cortina Games and placed Johnson in rare company: only the second American woman to win Olympic downhill gold after Vonn’s victory in 2010. The celebratory moment, however, carried a subdued tone as athletes and fans processed Vonn’s exit.

The day also underscored the discipline’s danger. Multiple racers went down across the event, and at least one additional athlete was removed from the slope on a stretcher, illustrating how quickly conditions and course demands can overwhelm even the best skiers in the world.

What happens next for Vonn

The next steps hinge on medical imaging and whether Sunday’s crash caused additional structural damage beyond the already-known knee injury. With a torn ACL in the picture, the main questions now are:

• Did the crash worsen ligament or meniscus damage, or introduce new injuries?

• Is surgery required immediately, or can treatment be staged depending on stability and swelling?

• Can she safely continue at the Games in any capacity, or does this end her Olympic program?

Until official medical findings are released, the clearest signal is the decision to evacuate by helicopter—an indication the incident was treated with maximum caution rather than a routine “ski off” scenario.

Key takeaways

• Vonn crashed about 13 seconds into the Olympic women’s downhill on February 8, 2026, after clipping a gate and losing control.

• She was airlifted from the course and later described as stable while undergoing evaluation; detailed injuries were not immediately confirmed.

• The race ended with Breezy Johnson winning gold in 1:36.10, 0.04 seconds ahead of Emma Aicher, with Sofia Goggia taking bronze.

Sources consulted: Reuters, Associated Press, Olympics, Sky News