Lindsey Vonn says ‘Olympic dream is not over’ despite injury scare in final race before Games

The American was airlifted to hospital for treatment after crashing exactly a week before the Olympics start

Vonn crashed out of her final downhill race before the Winter Olympics (Getty Images)

Lindsey Vonn’s hopes of winning a fourth Olympic medal received a blow on Friday as she crashed out of her final downhill World Cup before the Games.

The American was taken to hospital in visible discomfort following a crash in the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana and now faces a race against time to be fit for the start of Milano-Cortina 2026.

She wrote on social media on Friday: “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. Thank you for all the love and support.”

Vonn lost control when landing a jump in the World Cup race and ended up tangled in the safety nets on the upper portion of the course.

She eventually got up after receiving medical attention and walked away gingerly, taking weight off her left knee and using her poles to steady herself. The 41-year-old then clicked her skis back on but stopped to check her left knee.

She eventually made it to the finish area, where she was comforted by US teammate Jacqueline Wiles and limped into a tent for medical attention, before being transferred via helicopter to hospital.

Vonn thanked the medical staff for the “incredible help” they provided her and said she would provide further information on her condition in due course.

Her coach, former Olympic champion Aksel Lund Svindal, told Reuters: “She has some pain so it’s better to have some checks, the physio did some checks. They seemed OK but there were things he was not 100% sure so it was good to have it checked [at the hospital].”

Vonn managed to ski to the finish area but was in visible pain (Getty Images)

The race was first shortened as a result of poor weather conditions before organisers took the decision to cancel as snow continued to fall.

Three of the first six racers crashed; Nina Ortlieb of Austria and Marte Monsen of Norway were the others to abandon their runs, the latter taken away on a stretcher with a bloodied face. Vonn was the sixth racer on the course.

The crash occurred exactly a week before the Milan Cortina opening ceremony, with the women’s downhill - Vonn’s first race of the Games - taking place on 8 February.

Vonn, the 2010 Olympic champion in downhill, has been the red-hot favourite for another gold in Milano-Cortina after a phenomenal start to her season, having won two World Cups and not finished off the podium in her five downhill races.

She initially retired in 2019, citing injuries, but returned in 2024 after a partial right knee titanium replacement.

Romane Miradoli of France, who did complete her run, said visibility was an issue, with snow falling. “You can't see and it's bumpy everywhere,” she said.

Additional reporting by AP