U.S. skier Lindsey Vonn crashed and was airlifted Friday in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, ending her final downhill race before the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Jan. 30 (UPI) -- U.S. skier Lindsey Vonn crashed and was airlifted Friday in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, ending her final downhill race before the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Vonn was among three skiers to crash during the event, which was canceled because of poor visibility after her accident. The 2010 gold medalist, who also has two Olympic bronze medals, lost control and found herself tangled in the safety netting.
She slowly glided down the Mont Lachaux course before being helped into a rescue harness and hoisted out of the area with the help of a helicopter.
Vonn, 41, favored her left knee before she was flown out. The U.S. Ski and Snowboard team said she is undergoing evaluation.
Austria's Nina Ortlieb and Norway's Marte Monsen also failed to complete their runs due to crashes. The decision to end the competition occurred after six competitors started.
"The main reason is the safety of the athletes," Women's World Cup race director Peter Gerdol said in a statement. "The visibility was getting worse and worse. They couldn't see the race line properly and it caused mistakes. We saw six athletes starting and all six had some mistakes.
"This was a sign that it was a high-risk situation. We know that our sport is a risky sport, but the feeling was too much risk. That's why the jury decided to stop the race."
Vonn was among 97 American skiers and snowboarders named to Team USA on Jan. 22 and among 232 athletes overall named to Team USA's Winter Olympics roster on Monday.
Vonn, who competed in eight World Cup races this season, was planning to enter the women's downhill, super-G and team combined event in the Winter Olympics.
Olympic events will be held from Wednesday through Feb. 22. The opening ceremony will take place Feb. 6 in Milan. The first training session for the women's downhill will be held Feb. 5 at the Tofane Alpine Skiing Center in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. The women's downhill final will be Feb. 8.
Vonn, who underwent right knee replacement surgery in 2024, was to become the oldest woman in history to compete in the Olympics in downhill skiing.
Category: General Sports
