2026 Winter Olympics: American athlete Lindsey Vonn airlifted after downhill accident breaks leg
American athlete Lindsey Vonn’s Winter Olympic dream ended in tragedy on the slopes of Cortina after she fell from the women’s slope and was later taken to hospital for surgery on a broken left foot.
The 41-year-old was running just nine days after rupturing ligaments in one knee, rolling the dice for the final time in her signature event. But disaster struck early, even as he hit the gate with his ski pole on the opening jump, throwing him off balance and ending his run in a brutal manner.
Following the accident, Vonn was airlifted from the Olimpia delle Tofane course to the Ca’ Foncello hospital in Treviso, about 130 kilometers away, following a long period of treatment on the piste.
Lindsey Vonn ends her heroic (and to many irresponsible) return to the Olympics. He participated with an affected ligament and a damaged meniscus. The 2010 Olympic champion ran with a knee brace. He retired in 2019 due to chronic injuries and… pic.twitter.com/744WnKhTCn
— 𝒟𝑖𝑒𝑔𝑜 𝒜𝑟𝑐𝑜𝑠 𝒮𝑎𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑑𝑟𝑎 (@DiegoArcos14) February 8, 2026
A hospital statement later confirmed that he had undergone ‘orthopedic surgery to stabilize the fracture in his left leg’. The two-time world champion had shown encouraging signs ahead of the race, completing two practice runs on the iconic course that has defined so much of his career.
As stunned onlookers watched him being whisked away by helicopter, teammate Breezy Johnson was left in tears at the end. For the uninitiated, Johnson went on to win Olympic gold with a blistering time of 1 minute 36.10 seconds.
Lindsey had openly acknowledged the risks of competing after injuring his ACL in the final World Cup race before the games in Switzerland. Still, he was determined to begin the descent, insisting that he would try regardless of the outcome.
The incident sparked concern and support for the athlete. One wrote, “The whole world is sending their thoughts and prayers for your recovery. How brave.” Another commented, “We believe, Lindsey!! Thank you for bringing us such joy, awe, and inspiration.” “Get well soon,” wrote one, while another user added, “You’re always the story.”
