In the Olympic downhill in Cortina d’Ampezzo, German skier Emma Aicher secured Germany's first medal with silver. She trailed US racer Breezy Johnson by just 0.04 seconds, as US star Lindsey Vonn suffered a severe crash. The incident overshadowed the race.
The 22-year-old Emma Aicher celebrated her biggest career success by winning silver in the downhill in Cortina d’Ampezzo – Germany's first individual ski medal at the Olympics in twelve years. Only world champion Breezy Johnson from the USA was 0.04 seconds faster, with bronze going to Italian Sofia Goggia at +0.59 seconds. Teammate Kira Weidle-Winkelmann finished ninth at +1.16 seconds.
The race in the Dolomites was overshadowed by Lindsey Vonn's dramatic crash. The 41-year-old American fell early after a mistake at a jump, hooking her arm on a gate and losing control. She hit hard, screamed in pain, and was airlifted by rescue helicopter. Vonn competed despite a torn ACL, with a partial prosthesis in her right knee and a brace on the left.
Aicher described her feeling: “It felt really wild. Every jump tore me up. I can't quite gauge it right now,” she told ZDF during the interruption after Vonn's crash. On the accident, she said: “I looked away right away.” Former pro Felix Neureuther commented on ARD: “She definitely took risks from the top. That was the fear I had, that she would try to go over the limit for this one race.”
Aicher, the German alpine team's biggest hope for years, debuted five years ago in Cortina at the World Championships with team bronze. In 2022, she won Olympic silver with the team; last March brought her first World Cup wins, and two more this season. Third in the overall World Cup, she has chances in team combination, super-G, and slalom. Spectators held their breath, including Vonn's father, sister, and rap star Snoop Dogg.
