Lindsey Vonn crash in Cortina leaves U.S. ski icon with broken leg, surgery

Lindsey Vonn’s Olympic comeback ended abruptly Sunday, Feb. 8, after a high-speed crash early in the women’s downhill in Cortina d’Ampezzo left the 41-year-old American with a fractured left leg that required surgery. She was airlifted off the course in stable condition, capping a dramatic, high-risk return that had already included a serious knee ligament injury in the days before the race.

Vonn had been aiming to become the oldest Olympic alpine medalist. Instead, her run lasted only seconds, and the downhill final proceeded under the shadow of her fall.

Lindsey Vonn crash: what happened on the course

Vonn went down roughly 12–13 seconds into her start on the Olimpia delle Tofane track, clipping a gate and losing control before slamming into the snow. Medical teams responded quickly on the slope, and she was transported by helicopter to a hospital for further treatment.

The incident happened so early that many viewers saw only the initial acceleration, a brief line adjustment, and then the abrupt loss of balance as she drifted out of rhythm. The crash was violent enough to stop any realistic chance of continuing the race and immediately shifted attention from results to her condition.

Short clips of the fall circulated widely online within minutes, but officials have not released additional official technical detail beyond the basic sequence of events on course.

Injury details and the latest medical update

Doctors stabilized Vonn’s left leg fracture with surgery in Italy on Sunday. Updates from U.S. ski officials described her as stable and receiving care from a combined team of American and Italian physicians.

She had entered the race with a recent knee ligament injury that had already raised questions about her ability to absorb the forces of downhill skiing—compressions, high-speed edge changes, and the torque created by small mistakes at speed. After Sunday’s crash, the leg fracture became the primary immediate concern, with her condition described as serious but not life-threatening.

Public medical specifics remain limited beyond the location of the fracture and confirmation of surgery. No timeline has been provided for recovery or rehabilitation steps.

The torn ACL factor and why the risk was so high

Vonn’s decision to race drew intense attention because she had recently sustained a significant knee ligament injury, commonly described as an ACL tear in pre-race discussion. Downhill is the most punishing alpine discipline: speed is highest, impacts are hardest, and a fraction of a second late can turn into a full loss of control.

That context matters because it changes how a small error behaves. Even minor instability in a knee can make it harder to absorb a bump cleanly, set an edge confidently, or recover when a ski gets deflected. In downhill, “recovering” often means surviving a moment at freeway speeds on ice-like snow.

Vonn has built her career on fearless speed skiing, but this attempt was different—less about proving she could still ski fast, and more about whether she could do it safely under Olympic-level pressure.

How the downhill final played out after the crash

The women’s downhill still produced a major U.S. moment. Breezy Johnson won gold, delivering a headline result for Team USA on a day that began with widespread concern for her teammate. The medal ceremony and post-race interviews carried an emotional undertone, with multiple skiers acknowledging how quickly elite racing can turn from celebration to crisis.

Race officials continued the event after the medical evacuation, and the broader conversation around women’s speed events—course setting, gate placement, and athlete safety—resurfaced as the day’s defining theme. Another significant crash later in the race added to the sense that the course was demanding even by Olympic downhill standards.

What happens next for Vonn and Team USA

The immediate priority is Vonn’s post-surgery care and pain management, along with decisions about whether she remains hospitalized for observation or transitions to a rehab plan. Beyond that, the open question is career-related: Sunday’s crash was widely framed as a final Olympic chapter, and the severity of the injury makes any near-term return to racing uncertain.

For Team USA, the focus turns quickly to the remaining alpine schedule in Cortina and the broader Milano Cortina Games program. Johnson’s win gives the U.S. program a marquee result, but Vonn’s injury will remain a central storyline—both emotionally and in practical terms, as teammates process what happened while continuing to compete.

Key takeaways

• Lindsey Vonn crashed about 12–13 seconds into the women’s downhill on Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026.

• She suffered a fractured left leg, underwent surgery, and is in stable condition.

• She raced amid recent knee ligament injury concerns, heightening the risk in downhill.

• Breezy Johnson won the women’s downhill gold for the United States.

Sources consulted: Reuters; Associated Press; The Guardian; Sky Sports