Lindsey Vonn fell in the downhill race at the Winter Olympics; competition was interrupted for medical attention
One of the stars of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, skier Lindsey Vonn, from the United States, suffered a serious remains in his descent in the alpine skiing downhill race this Sunday (8) and was transported by helicopter to receive medical care.
At 41, Lindsey arrived in Italy for her fifth Olympic appearance. One of the greatest winners in history, having won the gold medal in the downhill and the bronze in the super-G at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games, in addition to the bronze in the downhill at PyeongChang-2018, she returned to skiing in 2024, putting an end to her retirement of more than five years. She competed injured in Italy after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in her left knee last week.
In her preparation for the Olympics, she achieved two World Cup downhill triumphs this season, which only raised expectations for her Olympic performance. No one before, at the age of 41, had won a race on the world circuit.
As if she were Italian, Lindsey Vonn had great support from the fans, but the excitement was short-lived. After the skier fell, a scream of pain echoed, followed by silence from the stands. The race was interrupted for more than 10 minutes to rescue the American.
The episode may have put an end to Lindsey Vonn’s career. “It’s tragic,” said International Ski Federation president Johan Eliasch. “But what can I say? It’s ski racing and, knowing Lindsey, I wouldn’t rule it out for 2030.”
Off the slopes, the skier is one of the investors in Angel City FC, a women’s soccer team from the United States that competes in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL).
The women’s downhill race in Milan-Cortina this Sunday also had another helicopter rescue with Cande Moreno, from Andorra.
*With information from Estadão Conteúdo
