U.S. skier Lindsey Vonn says ‘Olympic dream is not over’ after crash, injury in Switzerland

U.S. Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn says her “Olympic dream is not over” after she suffered a knee injury Friday in a race in Crans-Montana, Switzerland.

“This is a very difficult outcome one week before the Olympics … but if there’s one thing I know how to do, it’s a comeback,” Vonn said on Instagram. “My Olympic dream is not over. Thank you for all of the love and support. I will give more information when I have it.”

She said that her left knee was injured in a crash during the women’s downhill race.

Vonn, 41, lost control on a jump and got tangled in safety netting, according to The Associated Press. She was not the only skier to get hurt during the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup race, as Austria’s Nina Ortlieb, 29, and Norway’s Marte Monsen, 26, also got hurt.

“Sending my best to @marte.monsen who also had a major crash and injury today,” Vonn wrote on Instagram.

Due to the difficulties faced by the first six skiers Friday, and in particular the injuries to Monsen, Ortlieb and Vonn, the International Ski and Snowboard Federation canceled the rest of the women’s downhill race in Crans-Montana.

“We saw six athletes starting and all six had some mistakes. This was a sign that it was a high-risk situation. We know that our sport is a risky sport, but the feeling was too much risk. That’s why the Jury decided to stop the race,” said Women’s World Cup Race Director Peter Gerdol.

Vonn returned to racing in 2024 with plans to compete in the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, after previously retiring in 2019 missing the 2022 Beijing Games. She also missed the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics due to an injury.

The 2026 Milan Cortina Games kick off with the opening ceremony next Friday, though Vonn’s first planned race is the women’s downhill race on Feb. 8. She also plans to compete in the new women’s team combined downhill race on Feb. 10 and the women’s super-G race on Feb. 12, according to the AP.

Over her Olympic career representing the U.S., Vonn won gold in women’s downhill and bronze in the women’s super-G competition at the 2010 Vancouver Games, and then won bronze in the women’s downhill at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games.