Olympic gold medalist Lindsey Vonn announced that despite her torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in her left knee, she would compete in her final downhill at the 2026 Winter Olympics. In a press conference at the Cortina Curling Stadium in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, on February 3, Vonn proclaimed, “I’m not letting this slip through my fingers. I’m gonna do it. End of story.”
At the age of 41, Vonn hoped to become the oldest alpine skier—male or female—to win an Olympic gold medal. Sadly, her dreams came to a devasting halt a mere 13 seconds after she began her ski, according to ABC, noting that “Vonn already has a titanium implant in her right knee as a result of past injuries and was skiing on Sunday with a heavy brace on her recently injured left knee.”
Videos show Vonn tumbling down the mountain and coming to an eventual rest as rescue crews scrambled to airlift her to medical care. Annalisa Raffin, a winch technician who was part of Vonn’s helicopter crew, noted, “As soon as we were activated, we left immediately…It’s all about coordinating movements and the helicopter’s positioning to reach the target in the most accurate way possible.”
Fortunately, Vonn has been through surgery and will “be okay” according to U.S. Ski and Snowboard officials.
