Legendary U.S. Olympian Airlifted Off Mountain During Race

Lindsey Vonn’s final downhill tune-up before her dramatic Olympic comeback took a terrifying turn.

The 41-year-old ski legend was airlifted off the mountain Friday after crashing during a World Cup downhill race in Crans-Montana, Switzerland — just one week before the 2026 Winter Olympics in Cortina.

Snowy, low-visibility conditions wreaked havoc on the course, with Vonn among three racers to go down in quick succession. Officials ultimately canceled the race following her fall, according to the Associated Press.

“I crashed today in the Downhill race in Switzerland and injured my left knee,” Lindsey Vonn shared on Instagram. “I am discussing the situation with my doctors and team and will continue to undergo further exams. 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.”

Vonn stopped short of confirming whether she’ll still compete in Italy, but made one thing clear: “My Olympic dream is not over.”

Witnesses said Vonn lost control while landing a jump, slammed into the snow, and slid dangerously toward the safety netting. Despite posting the fastest time at the first checkpoint earlier in the run, her momentum carried her straight into the fencing, where she became tangled in the webbing.

Medical teams attended to her on the slope for several minutes before she slowly stood, clearly favoring her left knee. Using her ski poles for support, Vonn cautiously moved around before stopping again to clutch her knee. Moments later, she was surrounded by helpers and airlifted off the course.

“She hurt her knee — I spoke with her,” International Ski and Snowboard Federation CEO Urs Lehmann told reporters. “We don’t yet know how serious it is. We’ll have to wait for the doctors.”

The crash immediately cast uncertainty over Vonn’s Olympic plans. Her first scheduled event at the Games is the women’s downhill on Feb. 8, with additional starts planned in the super-G and the new team combined event.

Vonn retired in 2019 after one of the most decorated careers in alpine skiing history, collecting three Olympic medals and two World Championship golds while battling a relentless string of injuries. She famously returned to competition last season after undergoing a partial right-knee titanium replacement.

Remarkably, the comeback has been working. At 41, Vonn entered this race as the World Cup circuit’s leading downhiller this season, with two wins and three additional podium finishes.

She officially qualified for the Milan-Cortina Games in December and announced her return to the Olympic stage as her “fifth and final” appearance.

“I can’t guarantee outcomes,” Vonn wrote last month, “but I can guarantee that I will give my absolute best every time I kick out of the starting gate.”

Now, that promise faces its toughest test yet — with the world waiting to see whether one of skiing’s greatest champions can pull off yet another comeback when it matters most.