Lindsey Vonn’s Olympic ambitions might be in jeopardy. The 41-year-old skier was racing in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, on Friday, Jan. 30, at the final World Cup stop before Olympic training starts next week, when she lost control and crashed. Vonn was visibly hurt and airlifted to a nearby hospital for treatment.
Vonn was the third skier to crash on the Crans-Montana course, which had already been shortened due to poor conditions. The race was canceled after her accident.
The extent of Vonn’s injuries remains unknown. However, her coach, two-time Olympic champion Aksel Lund Svindal, shared some details with 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,” Svindal said.
With the start of the Milano-Cortina Olympic Games just one week away, this crash could have serious consequences for Vonn, who returned to competition in 2024, bound and determined to compete on the Olympic stage one last time.
Poor Conditions Led to Multiple Crashes
Vonn was only the sixth skier to race the Crans-Montana course on Friday, but was the third one to fall due to extremely challenging conditions. Nina Ortlieb of Austria fell in exactly the same place but was able to ski away unharmed. Marte Monsen of Norway fell further down, smashing into the safety netting, and was carried off on a stretcher.
Romane Miradoli of France was one of the three racers who actually completed the Crans-Montana course without crashing. She told Reuters that visibility was extremely bad and the course was very bumpy.
Vonn came out of the starting gate in good form and was leading the race coming into the first checkpoint. But almost immediately afterward, she landed a jump off balance. She tried to brake but fell backward, and crashed, falling awkwardly. She was able to ski to the bottom, but was limping and appeared uncomfortable at the bottom.
A helicopter arrived shortly thereafter to transport her to the hospital.
Vonn is scheduled to race at Cortina d’Ampezzo in the women’s downhill on Feb. 8, in the women’s Super G, and in the new team combined event after that. It is unknown how this accident and potential injury might affect her Olympic performance.
Coming Out of Retirement to Compete in Milano-Cortina
Vonn retired from ski racing in 2019 after taking a bronze medal in the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in Åre, Sweden. When she retired, she had one of the most successful female racing careers in history behind her.
But in 2024, she returned. With the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics on the horizon, Vonn decided she wanted one last shot — age and knee replacement be damned. After all, Cortina d’Ampezzo, where the downhill races will be held, is a venue where Vonn has enjoyed 12 World Cup victories over her career.
Vonn returned to the racecourse with a vengeance. In March 2025, she finished second in the World Cup Super G in Sun Valley, Idaho. Then, the following December in St. Moritz, Switzerland, she finished the race a full second ahead of Magdalena Egger of Austria, who took second place. It was Vonn’s 83rd World Cup victory.
Leading up to this most recent race in Crans-Montana, Vonn’s skiing has reportedly looked very good. A lot of excitement was building up around her Olympic return. Now, with the opening ceremony exactly one week away, it all seems to be up in the air.
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