Lindsey Vonn’s Olympic Dream Shatters In 13 Seconds: Skiing Legend Crashes Horrifically As ‘She Gets Launched Into Air’

Lindsey Vonn’s brave attempt to win Olympic downhill gold despite a ruptured ACL ended in heartbreak after just 13 seconds on Sunday, when the American skiing legend suffered a terrifying crash at the Milano Cortina Olympics.

Lindsey Vonn, 41, is one of the greatest alpine skiers of all time. She is a four-time overall World Cup champion, an Olympic gold medallist from 2010, and a bronze medallist from 2018. Over her long career, she has won 84 World Cup races, 12 of them on Cortina’s famous Olimpia delle Tofane course, making it one of her favourite and most successful tracks.

Lindsey Vonn’s Olympic Dream Ends in Agony

Despite a serious knee injury picked up in a crash at Crans Montana on January 30, Lindsey Vonn was determined to race. Her fight just to reach the start line became one of the biggest talking points of the Games. Wearing bib number 13 and a brace on her injured knee, she looked fired up as she tapped her ski poles and pushed out of the start gate in her usual aggressive style.

However, moments later, disaster struck. According to reports, Vonn appeared to clip the fourth gate with her shoulder, lost control, and was launched into the air. She flew off the sunlit course at high speed and came to rest in a crumpled heap. Her screams could be heard on live television as the crowd and her teammates watched in shock.

Lindsey Vonn Airlifted to Hospital

Reports say that medics rushed to her side as a stunned silence fell over the finish area. A yellow helicopter soon arrived, and Lindsey Vonn was strapped into an orange stretcher and airlifted to Cortina’s Codivilla Putti Hospital. As the helicopter passed overhead, spectators applauded in support. There was no immediate update on her condition.

Fellow American Breezy Johnson, who later won gold, was visibly shaken. “My heart goes out to her,” Johnson said. “When you love the course so much and it hurts you like that it hurts even more,” as per reports. 

Lindsey Vonn Praised for Courage

Downhill skier Bryce Bennett said, “It’s obviously a bummer. It’s just like the risk of downhill is high, and like, everyone makes it look so easy when it’s going smooth and then you see how quickly it can go in the other direction. Her right leg didn’t look so good, but we’ll see.”

Commentator Tina Maze added, “Of course if you’re not healthy then the consequences are even worse, but we know all Lindsey. It’s her decision that she wanted to do this no matter what I mean it’s terrible.”

FIS president Johan Eliasch called the crash “tragic,” while praising her impact on the sport. Vonn’s sister, Karin Kildow, summed it up best: “She dared greatly, and she put it all out there.”

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