The much-anticipated Olympic return of Lindsey Vonn ended in a harrowing medical emergency just 13 seconds into her downhill run on February 8, 2026. Vonn, who entered the Games as a gold-medal favorite, clipped the fourth gate on the legendary Olimpia delle Tofane track. The impact hooked her right arm and twisted her body mid-air, causing a violent tumble that left the stadium in stunned silence.
The drama was heightened by the revelation that Vonn was competing with a completely ruptured left ACL, an injury sustained just nine days prior in Switzerland. While skeptics questioned the decision to race, Vonn clarified that the previous knee injury was not the cause of the crash, citing a line that was “simply 5 inches too tight”. Though her dream did not have a “storybook ending,” Vonn stated she has no regrets, asserting that simply standing in the starting gate was a victory in itself.
