Lindsey Vonn Injured, Seen Limping as She’s Airlifted to Hospital After Crash in Final Race Before Winter Olympics

Lindsey Vonn was airlifted to the hospital after crashing in her final downhill competition in Switzerland — just one week before the winter Olympics are set to begin.  

Vonn, 41, is “being evaluated” after crashing in the Crans Montana downhill, the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team confirmed in a post on X on Friday, Jan. 30. The skiing star lost control after landing a jump and skidded into the safety net, according to The Guardian, CBS News and USA Today

Having remained down for several moments, Vonn was attended to by medical staff and then skied down to the bottom of the course.

Onlookers noted that she appeared to be clutching her left knee and stopped several times to check on it. She also seemed to take the weight off the knee several times and was seen limping, per the outlets. 

When she got to the bottom of the course, she hugged fellow U.S. skier Jacqueline Wiles before entering a medical tent for evaluation. She was later airlifted from the area by helicopter and transported from the Swiss Alps, according to The Guardian.

The fall comes just one week before the opening ceremony of the Milano Cortina Olympics. The women’s downhill — which Vonn is set to participate in — is scheduled just two days after the ceremony. 

Vonn has previously suffered multiple torn ACLs and countless injuries throughout her career, and had a partial titanium knee replacement in 2024 — which she credits as one of the reasons for her competitive return to skiing after retiring in 2019.

“My body was so different,” she told PEOPLE. “I didn’t have any pain at all; my knee didn’t swell. I felt like I could do anything. The thought of ski racing again, something I loved to do so much, but without pain, was really exciting.”

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Vonn is poised to make history as the oldest woman to ever compete in Alpine racing in Winter Olympics history. She said that her return to the sport will also let her finish her career the way she wanted.

“I built an amazing life and was really happy in retirement,” she said of mostly focusing on her philanthropy. “But I didn’t finish my career the way I wanted to. I was limping away when I wanted to finish strong.”