Skiing icon Lindsey Vonn suffered a dramatic crash during the women’s downhill alpine skiing final at the Winter Olympics on Sunday. Vonn, aged 41, had returned to action just nine days after sustaining a significant left ruptured anterior cruciate ligament injury.
Vonn’s comeback took a devastating turn as she crashed shortly into her run, prompting the immediate attention of medical staff who swiftly brought out a stretcher. The distressing incident left Vonn visibly in pain and sobbing, leading to her being airlifted onto a stretcher and likely transported to a nearby hospital.
During the event, five-time Olympic skier Graham Bell expressed shock while providing commentary on BBC Two, describing the scene as the crowd watched in stunned silence. The emotional response continued as former British downhill skier Chemmy Alcott, who raced alongside Vonn, expressed intense emotions witnessing the accident unfold.
The incident resulted in a 20-minute pause in the competition before resuming. Shortly after Vonn’s crash, Cande Moreno also suffered a fall on the steepest part of the course, holding her knee before being airlifted for medical attention.
Vonn had previously faced a similar situation when she was air-lifted to a hospital on January 30 after a World Cup event crash in Switzerland resulted in a ruptured ACL. Despite a remarkable recovery and participation in practice sessions leading up to the competition, Vonn’s final Olympics appearance ended in disappointment with the crash during the downhill event.
As a response to the incident, Sky has announced a discounted Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle for the upcoming 2025/26 season, offering substantial savings and an extensive coverage of live matches across various leagues, including the Premier League. Sky plans to broadcast at least 215 live Premier League games next season, significantly increasing the coverage compared to previous seasons.