Lindsey Vonn suffered a serious crash during her final downhill race before the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics on Friday, requiring airlifting from the Crans-Montana course for medical evaluation, reports Baltimore Chronicle. The 41-year-old American ski star lost control landing a jump, becoming entangled in the safety nets on the upper section of the track. Despite initial medical attention on the slope, Vonn skied slowly to the finish line, clutching her left knee, as the race, contested under difficult visibility conditions, was subsequently canceled.
Vonn was the third competitor to crash on the challenging World Cup course. After the incident, she limped into a medical tent before being airlifted by helicopter, suspended from a hoist with two personnel assisting. Fellow racer Jacqueline Wiles, leading the event at the time of the crash, shared a tense embrace with Vonn prior to her evacuation. International Ski and Snowboard Federation CEO Urs Lehmann said, “I know she hurt her knee. I talked to her. I don’t know if it’s serious enough for her to miss the Olympics. Let’s wait for what the doctors are saying.”
The American skier, who made a remarkable comeback last season at age 40 following nearly six years away from competitive racing, has been dominant in downhill events this season. Skiing with a partial titanium implant in her right knee, Vonn has achieved two victories and three additional podium finishes across five World Cup races. Overall, she has participated in eight events this season, finishing on the podium in seven, with her lowest placement being fourth.
Friday’s crash occurred exactly one week before the Milan Cortina Games opening ceremony. Vonn is scheduled to compete in the women’s downhill on February 8, as well as in the super-G and the new team combined event. She also planned to race in a super-G in Crans-Montana on Saturday, which would have been her final tune-up before the Olympics. Vonn holds the record for 12 World Cup wins in Cortina d’Ampezzo, the venue for the Olympic alpine skiing events.
During Friday’s race, Vonn was the sixth skier to start and posted the fastest split at the first checkpoint. While landing a jump off-balance, she raised her left arm and pole in an attempt to regain stability, but spun and became caught in the nets. Two other athletes had crashed prior: Nina Ortlieb of Austria and Marte Monsen of Norway. Both incidents delayed the event before Wiles and Olympic champion Corinne Suter completed their runs. French skier Romane Miradoli, who finished second, described the slope conditions as hazardous due to poor visibility and uneven snow.
Vonn’s career has included multiple serious crashes, including a 2013 super-G at the World Championships in Schladming, Austria, which led to a major right knee injury requiring airlifting from the course. She missed the 2014 Sochi Olympics due to subsequent injuries but returned to World Cup competition the following season.
The atmosphere in Crans-Montana on Friday was subdued following a tragic bar fire on New Year’s Day that killed 40 people and injured over 100. A minute of silence was observed before the downhill, and the finish area displayed white and black banners reading “Our thoughts are with you” in French, German, Italian, and English, replacing the usual sponsor advertisements.
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