Former Olympic gold medal skier Lindsey Vonn crashed at the Winter Olympics
American skiing legend Lindsey Vonn was involved in a devastating crash during the downhill event at the Winter Olympics. The 41-year-old was representing Team USA, having bravely competed despite suffering a ruptured ACL before the Milan Cortina Games.
The former gold medallist had been among the favourites to claim victory in the event before her pre-tournament injury. Vonn hung up her skis in 2019 but a partial knee replacement in 2024 paved the way for her remarkable comeback.
Her Olympic dreams were shaken by a crash in late January, though she remained determined to compete and completed her mandatory training runs earlier this week. However, what could have been a storybook ending turned to heartbreak for Vonn.
She lay motionless on the slopes during the women’s downhill skiing final before being airlifted to hospital. The incident sparked an emotional reaction from the BBC’s broadcast team.
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“I actually feel guilty that I am this emotional,” commentator Chemmy Alcott said. “When we thought about the end of this story, we never thought and never believed that it would end in her in a clump at the side of the piece, not moving.
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“What we saw is the top section is running very fast. The left-footer is really hard for healthy athletes.
“She is trying to throw herself down this, gunning for the podium. She doesn’t have a left knee, she drops her hip back and this is an absolute nightmare. It is an absolute nightmare.
“The whole world is watching and we wanted to see her come through the finish smiling, because she was fast, we wanted to see her take on this challenge, it is just really tough.”
The commentator added: “I feel so bad that I feel this way because her family and all over her team… it is so sad. We have to be realistic. The risk was really really high for her to take on the G-force of this downhill.
“The risk she faced when you fall are double that. Her body will not be able to withstand that. The crowd here, everyone is feeling it. There is intermittent clapping and I think that is hope that she is going to get up.
“But then the screen comes on and we see all the medical staff around here. They have actually had to put on some background noise because it is quite uncomfortable.”
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