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American ski star Lindsey Vonn was flown from a World Cup race in Switzerland on Friday after a horrific fall in her final race, jeopardizing her Olympic return just a week before the start of the Milan-Cortina Games.
Vonn, who made a stunning return to the sport last season after nearly six years away from ski racing, appeared to lose control as she attempted to land a jump during her final World Cup race in Crans-Montana.
Lindsey Vonn holds her left knee after a fall during the women’s World Cup downhill in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, January 30, 2026. (Jean-Christophe Bott/Keystone via AP)
The 40-year-old Olympic gold medalist, favorite at this month’s Games, clutched her left knee and winced in pain. She limped to a medical tent for an assessment before being flown off the course in a harness.
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“Lindsey Vonn fell during the descent of Crans Montana and is being evaluated,” the U.S. Ski Team said in its only update on Vonn.
International Ski and Snowboard Federation CEO Urs Lehmann told reporters at the race that Vonn “injured her knee,” but he would not speculate on the extent of the injury or what it might mean for her participation in the Olympics.
Lindsey Vonn is airlifted to a hospital after being injured following a fall during her race in the women’s downhill at the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, January 30, 2026. (Reuters/Denis Balibouse)
“I don’t know if it’s really heavy and (if) she won’t miss the Olympics. Let’s wait and see what the doctors say.”
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Vonn’s coach, Aksel Lund Svindal, told Reuters that Vonn was being evaluated at a hospital.
“She’s in pain so it’s best to do some checks, the physio did a few checks, they seemed OK but there were some things he wasn’t 100 per cent sure about so it was good to get them checked (at hospital).”
Several competitors also fell in conditions they described as difficult. Nina Ortlieb of Austria and Marte Monsen of Norway crashed before Vonn took her run. Frenchwoman Romane Miradoli said “we can’t see” and added that the course was “bumpy everywhere”.
Lindsey Vonn reacts after a fall during the women’s downhill at the 2025-2026 FIS Alpine Ski World Cup in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, January 30, 2026. (Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP via Getty Images)
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Vonn is scheduled to compete in her first Olympic event in women’s downhill on February 8. She is also expected to compete in the super-G and the new team combined event.
