Lindsey Vonn crashed during a World Cup downhill race in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, injuring her left knee just one week before the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. The 41-year-old American skier was airlifted to a hospital for evaluation after tangling in safety nets following a jump. Despite the setback, Vonn stated her Olympic dream is not over.
On January 30, 2026, in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, Lindsey Vonn, the leading downhiller in the World Cup this season, suffered a crash during the women's downhill event, the final race before the Winter Olympics. Starting sixth with the fastest time at the first checkpoint, Vonn lost control after landing a jump, spinning into the safety nets on the upper course. She received medical attention for about five minutes, then skied gingerly to the finish, favoring her left knee and pausing twice to check it.
The race, plagued by low visibility and falling snow, saw three crashes among the first six starters. Austria's Nina Ortlieb fell in the same spot but skied down unaided. Norway's Marte Monsen crashed near the finish with a bloodied face and was sledded off for knee pain. U.S. teammate Jacqueline Wiles, who completed her run, led when the race was canceled for safety reasons. France's Romane Miradoli, who finished, noted the conditions: "You can't see, and it's bumpy everywhere. We just couldn't see well."
Vonn, embracing Wiles at the finish with an anxious expression, limped into the medical tent before being airlifted by helicopter. Hours later, she posted on Instagram: "I crashed today in the Downhill race in Switzerland and injured my left knee. 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. My Olympic dream is not over."
The 41-year-old, who returned last season after a partial right knee replacement and five years retired, has two downhill wins and three podiums this season. She holds 12 World Cup victories in Cortina d'Ampezzo, site of Olympic women's events starting February 8 with downhill. Vonn planned super-G and team combined participation. International Ski Federation CEO Urs Lehmann said: "I know she hurt her knee... Let's wait for what the doctors are saying."
The subdued event honored 40 victims of a New Year's fire in Crans-Montana with a minute's silence. Vonn's history includes a severe 2013 right knee injury that sidelined her from the 2014 Olympics.
