Skier Lindsey Vonn Injured in Crash Days Before 2026 Winter Olympics

Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn‘s extremely anticipated comeback could also be over before it begins.

The 41-year-old ski legend crashed during her final World Cup downhill race Friday in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, just one week before the Feb. 6 start of the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. Vonn misplaced management touchdown a leap and have become entangled in security nets, receiving medical consideration for 5 minutes before gingerly snowboarding to the end line, visibly favoring her left knee.

The race was canceled following Vonn’s accident resulting from poor visibility. She was airlifted by helicopter to obtain additional medical analysis, leaving her Olympic participation unsure.

“I know she hurt her knee, I talked to her,” International Ski and Snowboard Federation CEO Urs Lehmann told ESPN. “I don’t know if it’s really heavy and [if] she won’t miss the Olympics.”

Vonn’s return from retirement has been considered one of the marquee storylines for the U.S. Olympic team heading into the Games. She joins fellow American Mikaela Shiffrin as the headliners for the U.S. alpine snowboarding squad. Vonn’s potential absence might also considerably influence Olympic coverage by network broadcasters who had featured her comeback narrative prominently in promotional coverage.

The snowboarding legend initially retired in 2019 after persistent knee accidents however announced her return in 2024, present process a partial knee alternative to increase her profession. She ranks second all-time in World Cup victories with 84 wins, trailing only fellow American Shiffrin’s document 108.

“This is a very difficult outcome one week before the Olympics…but if there’s one thing I know how to do, it’s a combeback,” she wrote on Instagram.