Lindsey Vonn crashes in final race before Milano Cortina Olympics

Jason Sargent Friday, January 30, 2026

- - Lindsey Vonn crashes in final race before Milano Cortina Olympics

Nancy Armour, USA TODAYJanuary 30, 2026 at 3:18 AM

Lindsey Vonn crashed during the final downhill before the Milano Cortina Olympics, appearing to injure her left knee one week before the Winter Games begin.

Vonn got off-balance coming out of a jump on the top part of the course in Crans Montana, Switzerland, on Friday, Jan. 30. She fought to regain her balance, but fell while going at high speed, spinning across the snow before crashing into the safety netting on the side of the course.

Vonn stayed on the hill for several minutes while safety crews rushed to her. She was able to get to her feet, but was clearly favoring her left knee as she used her poles to steady herself. Vonn bent her left knee a few times, giving small shakes of her head.

The opening ceremony is exactly a week away and the women's downhill is two days later. The Olympics are in Cortina, one of Vonn's favorite places, and she has said they were a motivator in her decision to come back after having a partial knee replacement in April 2024.

Vonn put her skis back on and resumed skiing, doing a few easy turns, but it was clear her left knee was hurting. As her team and her U.S. teammates looked on with concern, she slowly made her way down the hill. She slip-slid down the steepest part of the slope, before gently skiing down the bottom section of the course.

Vonn gave a small wave to the fans when she reached the finish line, but shook her head when fellow American Jackie Wiles approached her. She put her head in Wiles' shoulder as the two hugged before Vonn went into the tent in the finish area.

Conditions were already poor before Vonn's crash, with low visibility, and it was canceled soon after she got to the bottom of the fall. Including Vonn, three of the first six skiers did not finish the race.

Lindsey Vonn of Team United States in action during the Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup Women's Downhill on Dec. 20, 2025 in Val d'Isere, France.

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Lindsey Vonn of Team United States in action during the Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup Women's Downhill on Dec. 20, 2025 in Val d'Isere, France.

">Lindsey Vonn of Team United States in action during the Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup Women's Downhill on Dec. 20, 2025 in Val d'Isere, France.

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Austria's Cornelia Huetter, second-placed Germany's Kira Weidle-Winkelmann and third-placed US Lindsey Vonn celebrate with champagne on the podium after competing in the women's downhill race part of the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup 2025-2026, in Val d'Isere, south western France, on Dec. 20, 2025.

">Austria's Cornelia Huetter, second-placed Germany's Kira Weidle-Winkelmann and third-placed US Lindsey Vonn celebrate with champagne on the podium after competing in the women's downhill race part of the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup 2025-2026, in Val d'Isere, south western France, on Dec. 20, 2025.

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Lindsey Vonn of Team United States (second), Lara Gut-Behrami of Team Switzerland (first), and Federica Brignone of Team Italy (third) celebrate after competing in the women's Super-G during the STIFEL FIS World Cup Finals at Sun Valley Resort on March 23, 2025 in Sun Valley, Idaho.

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">Lindsey Vonn of Team United States (second), Lara Gut-Behrami of Team Switzerland (first), and Federica Brignone of Team Italy (third) celebrate after competing in the women's Super-G during the STIFEL FIS World Cup Finals at Sun Valley Resort on March 23, 2025 in Sun Valley, Idaho.

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Lindsey Vonn of the United States inspects the course before women's downhill training for 2025 FIS Ski World Cup finals at Sun Valley on March 21, 2025.

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Lindsey Vonn of the United States inspects the course before women's downhill training for 2025 FIS Ski World Cup finals at Sun Valley on March 21, 2025.

">Lindsey Vonn of the United States inspects the course before women's downhill training for 2025 FIS Ski World Cup finals at Sun Valley on March 21, 2025.

" src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/uUKIMDudBlco2f7wpSOe9w--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD04Mjg-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/91a1a1bc8428765a04f8124c3104eee4 class=caas-img>Lindsey Vonn attends the Balenciaga Womenswear Fall/Winter 2025-2026 show as part of Paris Fashion Week at Les Invalides on March 9, 2025 in Paris, France.

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Lindsey Vonn attends the Balenciaga Womenswear Fall/Winter 2025-2026 show as part of Paris Fashion Week at Les Invalides on March 9, 2025 in Paris, France.

">Lindsey Vonn attends the Balenciaga Womenswear Fall/Winter 2025-2026 show as part of Paris Fashion Week at Les Invalides on March 9, 2025 in Paris, France.

" src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/2wbd0zKq1rIK8Knt0qtj3A--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD0xNjU1/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/657554f15a647ad4ce5520f078ef0ffd class=caas-img>Lindsey Vonn and Bronze medalist Lauren Macuga of Team United States pose for a photo after the awards ceremony for the Women's Super G during the Audi FIS Alpine World Ski Championships at Zwšlferkogel on Feb. 6, 2025 in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria.

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Lindsey Vonn and Bronze medalist Lauren Macuga of Team United States pose for a photo after the awards ceremony for the Women's Super G during the Audi FIS Alpine World Ski Championships at Zwšlferkogel on Feb. 6, 2025 in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria.

">Lindsey Vonn and Bronze medalist Lauren Macuga of Team United States pose for a photo after the awards ceremony for the Women's Super G during the Audi FIS Alpine World Ski Championships at Zwšlferkogel on Feb. 6, 2025 in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria.

" src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/BPdrq2r6t1p1WQ1FDGYWnw--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD04Mjg-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/4a80935a0bdc0288da03a2941015deba class=caas-img>