American alpine ski racer Lindsey Vonn’s Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics campaign ended in a harrowing crash. Playing with a torn ACL, Vonn clipped a gate while airborne before crashing at the Tofane course in Cortina d’Ampezzo.
The crash left the audience in shock as they looked on at an injured Vonn wailing in pain. A medical team was rushed to her aide and the event was halted with immediate effect.
Unable to move, Vonn lay in pain as paramedics tried to assess the seriousness of her injury. She was eventually evacuated using a helicopter and to a local hospital for a detailed medical evaluation.
Video footage of the incident shows Vonn taking to the course per usual. However, around 13 seconds into it, she can be seen clipping the gate before tumbling downhill in harrowing scenes. She lay in the snow with her knees bent in visible distress. The Olympic Games channel wished her well on social media, writing:
“An Olympic champion, always. Wishing all the best to Lindsey. 🤍”the OlympicaGames wrote on ‘X’.
How did Lindsey Vonn’s crash affect Winter Olympics Women’s downhill event
The likes of Sofia Goggia and Mirjam Puchner were among the other big names competing in the Women’s downhill event. Prior to Lindsey Vonn’s ill-fated attempt, the leaderboard was being led by Breezy Johnson of the United States with a timing of 1:36.10.
Italy’s Goggia, the 2018 Winter Olympics gold medallist, was in third position on the ladder with a timing of 1:36.69. Sandwiched between her and Johnson was Emma Aicher of Germany, who clocked a time of 1:36.14.
Around 10 participants were yet to take the course at the time of Vonn’s crash. Austria’s Nina Ortlieb and Norway’s Marte Monsen had also crashed on the course in earlier attempts.
Vonn’s crash was the most concerning given its severity and the concerns regarding her already torn ACL. The crash and subsequent evacuation caused a delay of approximately 20 to 30 minutes, during which the American skier was provided first-aid and initial medical aid. After she was airlifted from the course, the event resumed with the 14th skier, Austria’s Mirjam Puchner, taking to the course.
Over the course of an illustrious career, Vonn has won one Olympic gold medal (at the 2010 Vancouver Games) and four additional bronze medals. She also bagged the gold medals in Downhill and Super-G events at at the 2009 World Championships.
Edited by Vedant Chandel
