It concluded with an unexpected and painful twist.
On a bright Sunday morning in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, Lindsey Vonn began her run down the women’s Olympic downhill course but unfortunately didn’t land properly.
The crowd fell silent as the celebrated American skier faced a setback just a week after experiencing a complete tear of the anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee.
Following the fall, Vonn remained on the ground for several minutes as medical teams rushed to her side, resulting in a temporary halt to the race.
The 41-year-old was eventually airlifted from the venue amidst cheers from fellow competitors and fans alike, showing their support for the three-time Olympic medalist.
About 20 minutes later, the event resumed, and the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Team shared that Vonn was “being evaluated by medical staff.”
Broadcast footage captured Vonn’s family, including her father, Alan Kildow, and her four younger brothers, watching with concern.
“That was definitely not what we wanted to see. It all happened so quickly…” Vonn’s sister, Karin Kildow, stated to NBC. “She approached it with courage. She really gave it her all. It’s very tough to watch, but we’re hoping for the best.”
Despite the situation, Vonn had been determined to fight for another gold medal, but her journey ended abruptly in a way that left many disheartened.
On a brighter note, American Breezy Johnson, the defending world champion and who led the pace in Saturday’s training, capped her run as the sixth racer to finish the course, achieving a time of 1:36.10.
At this moment, Johnson was in the lead, followed closely by Germany’s Emma Eicher (1:36.14) and Italy’s Sofia Goggia (1:36.69). Fellow American Jackie Wiles was in fourth place, just missing a podium finish with a time of 1:36.96.
Previously, Vonn had claimed the gold in women’s downhill at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, as well as a bronze in the 2010 super-G and another bronze in downhill at Pyeongchang in 2018.
