Lindsey Vonn airlifted off mountain after crashing at 2026 Winter Olympics
Vonn's condition was not immediately known after being airlifted off Olympia delle Tofane Sunday morning.
American ski champ Lindsey Vonn was airlifted off Olympia delle Tofane Sunday after crashing during the women’s Alpine skiing event at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Vonn, skiing with a torn ACL she ruptured last month, lost control near the start of the race and crashed after clipping a flag on the course. She was heard screaming out after the crash as she was surrounded by medical personnel before she was strapped to a gurney and flown away by a helicopter, possibly ending the skier’s storied career.
Vonn’s condition was not immediately known Sunday. The race was paused for nearly half an hour, with a stunned crowd watching.
“That definitely was the last thing we wanted to see,” Vonn’s sister, Karin Kildow, said during NBC’s broadcast. “It happened quick. When that happens, you’re just immediately hoping she’s OK. It was scary, because when you start seeing the stretchers being put out, it’s not a good sign.”
“She has all of her surgeons and her [physical therapy] staff here and her doctors, so I’m sure they’ll give us a report,” Kildow added. “I think she’s being evaluated right now, is the only thing we’ve heard.”
All downhill skiers were required to have smart safety air bags in their racing suits, triggered by motion sensors and GPS data in the event of a crash. Vonn’s air bag inflated during her crash, which may have softened her fall, supplier Dainese told the Associated Press.
The 41-year-old underwent a partial knee replacement in April 2024, which rekindled hope of an Olympic return after retiring in 2019. She suffered another setback last month, when she ruptured her ACL skiing at the Alpine Ski World Cup in Switzerland.
Fellow Team USA skier Breezy Johnson, won gold in the event, her first Olympics medal. But speaking after the national anthem, Johnson’s thoughts were on her teammate.
“It’s devastating,” Johnson said. “It’s not the physical pain — we can deal with physical pain — but the emotional pain is something else. I wish her the best and I hope that this isn’t the end.”
She has some experience of what happened to Vonn. Johnson crashed at Cortina d’Ampezzo and injured her knee, which forced her to miss the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.
Andorra’s Cande Moreno and Austria’s Nina Ortlieb both also crashed during their runs Sunday. Ortlieb was able to stand up and walk off the course, while Moreno needed to be airlifted.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates. The Associated Press contributed to this report.