The incident occurred during a women’s World Cup downhill in Crans-Montana, where difficult conditions and poor visibility led to multiple crashes and ultimately forced race officials to cancel the event, News.Az reports, citing Al Jazeera.
Vonn, 41, lost control after landing awkwardly from a jump and was thrown into the safety nets on the upper section of the course. She was seen limping, keeping weight off her left knee, and using her poles for support after receiving on-site medical attention.
Photo: Al Jazeera
Although she managed to reach the finish area, Vonn was later airlifted by helicopter across the Swiss Alps to a hospital for further evaluation, raising concerns just days before the Olympic opening ceremony.
The crash came exactly one week before the start of the Milan Cortina Games, where Vonn was expected to be one of the headline athletes following a remarkable return to elite competition.
The downhill was cancelled after three of the first six racers crashed. Austria’s Nina Ortlieb and Norway’s Marte Monsen both fell before Vonn, with Monsen requiring transport away from the course on a sled. Visibility issues worsened as snowfall intensified, prompting concerns over athlete safety.
French skier Romane Miradoli, one of the competitors who completed her run, said conditions were extremely challenging. “You can’t see, and it’s bumpy everywhere,” she said, adding that poor visibility made the course especially dangerous.
Prior to Friday’s crash, Vonn had been the circuit’s most consistent downhiller this season, recording two victories and three additional podium finishes. Including super-G events, she had finished on the podium in seven of eight World Cup races, with her worst result being fourth place.
Her return to competition followed a partial titanium replacement in her right knee, making her recent form one of the most talked-about stories of the season.
Vonn is scheduled to compete in the women’s downhill on February 8, as well as the super-G and the new team combined event. Women’s alpine skiing at the Olympics will take place in Cortina d’Ampezzo, a venue where Vonn holds the record with 12 World Cup victories.
She was also due to race a super-G in Crans-Montana on Saturday, which would have been her final competition before the Games.
Vonn has suffered several serious crashes throughout her career, including a devastating knee injury at the 2013 world championships that forced her to miss the 2014 Sochi Olympics. Friday’s incident now raises fresh questions about her readiness for one final Olympic challenge.
