Lindsey Vonn's Emotional Crash at Winter Olympics; Breezy Johnson Secures Gold

Mon Feb 09 2026 00:56:59 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

In a dramatic turn of events, Lindsey Vonn crashed out of the women's downhill competition at the Winter Olympics, while teammate Breezy Johnson claimed the gold medal, leaving an emotional impact on the audience.

Lindsey Vonn suffered a harrowing crash during the women's downhill event at the Winter Olympics, just nine days after ligament surgery. Her fall marked the end of her Olympic journey, while teammate Breezy Johnson won gold, clocking a blistering time of 1:36.10. The event saw an increase in tension as competitors reacted to Vonn's accident, adding to Johnson's emotional victory. With the crash, Vonn's further participation in the Games remains uncertain as she faces the prospect of retirement from competitive skiing.

Lindsey Vonn crashed in the women's downhill competition at the Winter Olympics as fellow American Breezy Johnson won an emotional gold in Cortina.

Vonn, 41, was competing nine days after rupturing ligaments in her left knee, but hitting the gate on her first jump left her off balance, and her dreams of winning a medal in what she said will be her final Olympic downhill were over.

Vonn successfully completed two training runs on the Olimpia delle Tofane course but was airlifted off the piste after being tended to for a lengthy period.

World champion Johnson was in tears as her gold medal was confirmed after she clocked a blistering time of one minute 36.10 seconds.

The 30-year-old watched on the big screen at the finish line with her head in her hands when her teammate crashed, having completed her run sixth while Vonn was 13th to go.

Germany's Emma Aicher was pipped by 0.04 seconds and took the silver medal, while Italian home favourite Sofia Goggia secured bronze.

Vonn was taking a huge risk by competing on Sunday, having suffered the ACL injury in Switzerland in the last World Cup race before the Games, but was determined to take to the course for her favoured event.

Stunned spectators applauded towards the helicopter as it carried her away from the piste, with 12 of her 84 World Cup wins coming here.

Vonn had been unsure what her knee was capable of withstanding, having targeted the downhill as her favoured event while also being entered in the super-G and team events.

It now seems unlikely she will compete in any of those, meaning her Olympic career has almost certainly come to a devastating end.

Vonn had appeared relaxed leading up to the race, with her coach feeling confident she could pull off something spectacular.

No stranger to a comeback, Vonn retired from the sport in 2019 but returned to compete in the Olympics after a partial knee replacement.

However, this crash leaves significant doubt over whether Vonn will ski competitively again.

Vonn knew the dangers of competing but showed defiance, responding to a doctor's claim that the injury was not a fresh tear by asserting her ACL was 100% torn.

Emotional commentators remarked on the brutal nature of the sport, highlighting the risks Vonn took by competing at this level.