Lindsey Vonn was injured in a downhill crash just days before the 2026 Milan- Cortina Winter Olympics, but she has said her Olympic dream is not over and she’s still being evaluated for a left knee injury.

Quick Scoop: What happened to Lindsey Vonn?

In late January 2026, during her final World Cup downhill race in Crans- Montana, Switzerland, Vonn lost control after a jump, crashed into the safety nets, and injured her left knee.

She was treated on the slope, was able to ski down slowly, and was then airlifted to a hospital for further evaluation, which is standard procedure for serious race crashes.

On Instagram, Vonn confirmed she had hurt her left knee, said she was undergoing more exams with her medical team, and called the crash “a very difficult outcome one week before the Olympics.”

She also stressed that she believes in comebacks and wrote that her “Olympic dream is not over,” signaling that she still hopes to compete once doctors give a clearer assessment.

Context: Her comeback and history

Vonn originally retired in 2019 after years of serious injuries and chronic knee pain, including multiple ACL tears and other damage that had already made her career famous for dramatic comebacks.

A partial knee replacement in 2024 changed things for her, allowing her to train and race again with far less pain.

Motivated especially by the chance to race again in Cortina, Italy, Vonn launched a high-profile comeback aimed at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

By the 2025–26 season she was back on the World Cup downhill circuit, taking wins and multiple podiums and positioning herself as one of the standout downhill contenders heading into Milan-Cortina.

Where things stand now

As of the end of January 2026, doctors have not publicly detailed the exact severity of Vonn’s new left knee injury, so her Olympic participation remains uncertain.

Officials from skiing’s governing bodies have said they are waiting on medical evaluations to determine whether she can safely race in Milan-Cortina.

If she is cleared, Vonn is expected to target the women’s downhill and possibly super-G and team events, which she has spoken about as the ideal way to close out her career at a venue she loves.

Her public messages emphasize resilience and gratitude, and she has framed this latest setback as just another chapter in a long story of pushing through injuries to compete at the highest level.

TL;DR:
Lindsey Vonn crashed in a World Cup downhill in Switzerland right before the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics, injuring her left knee and getting airlifted for evaluation, but she says her “Olympic dream is not over” and is awaiting final medical clearance.

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