“This is a very difficult result one week before the Olympics… but if there’s one thing I know how to do, it’s come back,” Vonn wrote on Instagram.
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Before competing for the fifth time at the Winter Olympics, the professional skier hit the slopes for a downhill World Cup event, her last race before the Games. Scroll down to learn everything we know about how he got injured, what it will mean for his Olympic future and more.
What happened to Lindsey Vonn?
Vonn was competing in her final pre-Olympic alpine ski race in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, when she lost control while performing a jump. She ended up tangled in safety nets on the field and was treated by medical professionals before getting up and walking away from the scene.
However, Vonn walked with a noticeable limp and appeared to be using her canes to stabilize herself, according to the Associated Press. He was able to put his skis back on and ski to the finish line, but he had to stop several times and pay attention to his left knee along the way.
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After Vonn arrived at the medical tent at the end of the ride, she was airlifted off the mountain. She was one of three runners who crashed that morning and the race was ultimately canceled due to poor conditions.
In her next Instagram post, Vonn confirmed that she “injured her left knee.” She also added, “Thank you to all the medical staff who helped me today. I am grateful for all the incredible help I received.”
Will Lindsey Vonn compete in the 2026 Winter Olympics?
Following her accident, Vonn said via Instagram that she was “discussing the situation with my doctors and team and will continue to undergo further testing.” However, he also assured fans: “My Olympic dream is not over” and “he will give more information” when he has it.
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“I know she hurt her knee. I talked to her,” International Ski and Snowboard Federation CEO Urs Lehmann told reporters, according to the AP. “I don’t know if he is really heavy and (if) he won’t miss the Olympics. Let’s wait what the doctors say.”
On January 31, Vonn’s personal head coach, Chris Knight, revealed to the AP that she was still on track to compete in the Olympics. “No, she is not competing today, but she is preparing for Cortina as usual,” he told the outlet via text message.
Vonn, for her part, shared a positive update via Instagram that same day. “Unfortunately, I won’t be able to run today… I wish all my teammates a great race.
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Its first Olympic event, alpine skiing, is scheduled for February 8. She also plans to compete in the super-G (super giant slalom) race and the team medley event, should this injury not derail her.
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These are supposed to be a return to the Winter Games for Vonn, who last competed in the Olympics in 2018. Before that, she took the year off in 2014 due to a torn ACL and other ligament injuries in her right knee.
Vonn had retired from skiing in 2019 due to the lingering effects of the injury. He announced his return to the sport in November 2024, seven months after undergoing a knee replacement. Vonn has credited her titanium knee with freeing her from the pain and swelling she had suffered from for years.
How many Olympic gold medals has Lindsey Vonn won?
Vonn has won a gold medal at the Olympic Games. She took home gold in alpine skiing at the 2010 Games. That year she also won bronze in the superG race. When she returned to the Olympics in 2018, she won another bronze in downhill.
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Before that, Vonn first competed in the Olympics in 2002 at the age of 17, where she competed in slalom and team medley. She returned in 2006 for slalom, giant slalom, super-G, downhill and combined, but did not reach the podium in any of those races.
At the 2010 Games, she won her bronze and gold medal, as well as competing in slalom, giant slalom and combined. 2014 was a year off for Vonn as she dealt with her right knee injury, and in 2018, she competed in the super-G and team medley, along with the bronze-winning downhill race.
2026 Winter Olympics, opening ceremony, Friday, February 6, 2/1c, NBC and Peacock
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