The family of American skiing icon Lindsey Vonn was concerned and shocked by her terrifying crash in the women’s downhill final at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Vonn was navigating an early jump at the Olimpia delle Tofane course at Cortina d’Ampezzo – a course where she has won more than any other woman in the history of the FIS World Cup.
But she took an aggressive line and clipped the right-side gate in mid-air, spinning her sideways and resulting in a horrific wreck.
Vonn was heard screaming in pain and needed to be taken off the slope via helicopter just over a week after she tore her ACL when she crashed at a World Cup event in Switzerland at Crans-Montana.
Her decision to ski on that injured knee captured global attention. But suffering back-to-back crashes poses a serious threat to the 41-year-old’s career in a season where she hoped to add to her Olympic medal count eight years after winning bronze in Pyeongchang.
Vonn’s horrified family watched on in shock from the base of the slope. Her sister, Karin Kildow, spoke to NBC after she was transported to the hospital.
The sister of Lindsey Vonn says the skier’s horrific crash was ‘not a good sign’
Vonn clipped a gate while mid-air at the top of the Olimpia delle Tofane course in Cortina
She was spun sideways and crashed out as the broadcast caught her screaming in pain
‘I mean that definitely was the last thing we wanted to see and it happened quick and when that happens, you’re just immediately hoping she’s okay,’ Kildow told the network.
‘And it was scary because when you start to see the stretchers being put out, it’s not a good sign. But she really … she just dared greatly and she put it all out there. So it’s really hard to see, but we just really hope she’s okay.
‘She does have all of her surgeons and her PT staff here and her doctors, so I’m sure they’ll give us a report and we’ll meet her at whatever hospital she’s at.’
The crash stunned all those watching and led to an outpouring of support on social media.
Her American teammate Mikaela Shiffrin posted a broken heart emoji with prayer hand emojis while tagging Vonn.
The official Olympics account posted, ‘An Olympic champion, always. Wishing all the best to Lindsey.’
It’s an unfortunate end for what was gearing up to be a comeback for the ages.
Wearing a heavy brace on her left knee, Vonn logged the 11th best time in the second training run on Friday and the third-best time in the final training run on Saturday.
Kildow (R) told NBC: ‘It happened quick and when that happens, you’re just immediately hoping she’s okay.’
Vonn was taken off the slope and to a local hospital via helicopter after the premature finish
Vonn’s American teammate Breezy Johnson, who crashed at this course in January of 2022 to deny her a spot at the Winter Olympics in Beijing, won the Gold medal by 0.04 seconds
While Vonn wasn’t able to cross the finish line, the women’s downhill did produce the first medal for the United States at these Winter Olympics.
Wyoming native Breezy Johnson became the second American woman to take the Gold medal in the downhill, joining Vonn’s iconic performance from Vancouver in 2010.
Johnson, the sixth skier down the mountain, set the time to beat on the very same course where she crashed in January 2022 – denying her the chance to compete at the Winter Olympics weeks later in Beijing.
Germany’s Emma Aicher finished just 0.04 seconds behind Johnson for the silver medal while Italy’s Sofia Goggia – the 2018 Winter Olympic champion in the downhill – clinched the bronze.
