Lindsey Vonn injures knee in downhill crash a week before Olympics
American ski great Lindsey Vonn says her “Olympic dream is not over” after crashing and injuring her knee during a downhill race that was supposed to be her final warm-up before the start of the Milan Cortina Games next week.
“I fell today during a downhill race in Switzerland and injured my left knee,” the 41-year-old former Olympic gold medalist said on her Instagram Story on Friday. “I am discussing the situation with my doctors and my team and will continue to undergo further tests.
“It’s a very difficult result one week before the Olympics… but if there’s one thing I know how to do, it’s a comeback.
“My Olympic dream is not over. Thank you all for your love and support. I will provide more information when I have it. … It’s not over until it’s over.”
Competing in a World Cup race in Crans Montana, Vonn lost control while attempting a jump on the upper part of the course and slid into the safety net. After receiving medical attention for about five minutes, Vonn slowly skied to the finish line, using her poles for support and stopping twice to grip her knee.
She smiled and waved to the crowd after crossing the finish line and received a long hug from teammate Jacqueline Wiles before entering the medical tent. She was then flown off the slope for further evaluation.
Vonn was the third skier to fall during the race, which took place in difficult conditions and with low visibility. The event was canceled after Vonn’s fall.
After nearly six years away from ski racing, Vonn made a comeback last year and has two wins and three additional podiums in five downhill races this season, all with a partial titanium implant in her right knee.
At the 2010 Vancouver Games, Vonn became the only American woman to win Olympic gold in alpine skiing. She also won bronze medals in the 2010 super-G and 2018 downhill. On December 23, Vonn announced on Instagram that she had qualified for “my 5th and final Olympics!”
“When I made the decision to come back to ski racing, I always had my eye on Cortina because it is a place that is very, very special to me,” she wrote. “Even though I can’t guarantee any results, I can guarantee that I will give my best every time I start. No matter how these matches end, I feel like I’ve already won.”
The opening ceremony of the Milan Cortina Games will take place on February 6. Vonn’s first scheduled event is the women’s downhill on February 8. She also planned to compete in the super-G and the new team combined event.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
