On Friday in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, Lindsey Vonn, a prominent 41-year-old American ski athlete, suffered a crash during her final downhill World Cup race before the approaching Winter Olympics. The serious mishap occurred under difficult course conditions marked by snowfall and limited visibility, culminating in Vonn losing control upon landing a jump on the upper section of the downhill track.
She struck the protective netting after the failed landing and remained tangled momentarily. Medical personnel attended to her on site for approximately five minutes, during which she appeared to be in discomfort and relied heavily on her ski poles to maintain balance. Despite evident pain, Vonn managed to ski cautiously down the remaining course, occasionally pausing and gripping her left knee several times before arriving at the finish line.
The circumstance surrounding Vonn's crash prompted the race officials to cancel the event, underscoring the treacherous nature of the conditions that day. Importantly, Vonn was the third competitor to crash within the course, following incidents involving Austrian skier Nina Ortlieb and Norway's Marte Monsen, both of whom fell on the demanding track. Monsen required a sled evacuation post-accident.
Prior to the crash, Vonn held the fastest time recorded at the race's initial checkpoint, illustrating her competitive form leading into the Olympics. However, loss of balance after a jump disrupted her descent, culminating in the accident. Observers noted she lifted her left arm and pole in an effort to regain composure before the mishap.
Following her exit from the track, Vonn received additional medical attention in a tent, displaying visible distress and closing her eyes during a prolonged embrace with teammate Jacqueline Wiles, who was leading the incomplete race at that moment. The United States Ski Team disclosed that Vonn was undergoing comprehensive evaluation, though details on the severity of injuries remained pending.
Officials, including International Ski and Snowboard Federation CEO Urs Lehmann, indicated uncertainty regarding the extent of Vonn's injuries and her capacity to compete in the Milan Cortina Games that commence in one week. Lehmann stated that while Vonn reported knee pain, the prognosis awaited medical confirmation.
Vonn's career has included significant challenges; she previously returned to World Cup competition at age 40 after an extended hiatus, competing with a partial titanium implant in her right knee. This season, she demonstrated formidable performance, securing two downhill victories and three additional podium finishes across five races, along with a total of seven podium appearances in eight World Cup contests including the super-G event.
The 2026 Olympic schedule lists Vonn's first event as the women's downhill on February 8, with plans to also race in the super-G and a newly introduced team combined event. Her history at Cortina d’Ampezzo is notable, as she holds the record for 12 World Cup wins at that venue.
The canceled race in Crans-Montana was slated to include a subsequent super-G event, which would have been Vonn's last before the Olympics. The course's challenging conditions impacted all athletes, as multiple crashes and delays confirmed the perils present during the competition. Contestants reported reduced visibility due to snowfall and described the terrain as bumpy and obscured.
These dangers are consistent with Vonn's own competitive history, including a major 2013 crash in Schladming, Austria, where she sustained severe right knee injuries requiring airlift evacuation. That prior injury disrupted her career trajectory, causing her to miss the 2014 Sochi Olympics.
The atmosphere in Crans-Montana was subdued, reflecting both the emerging Olympic season and the community's mourning after a recent tragic fire at a local bar, which claimed 40 lives and injured over 100 individuals. Organizers held a moment of silence and decorated the finish area in somber colors and multilingual condolence banners.