The gut-wrenching moment that derailed Lindsey Vonn’s comeback at the 2026 Winter Olympics has been immortalized in one photo.
Footage from the Associated Press captured the moment the 41-year-old Olympian got her right arm caught on a gate before crashing in the women’s alpine skiing downhill event at the Milan Cortina Games on Sunday, which resulted in Vonn being airlifted from the scene in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy.
Vonn, who was just days removed from rupturing her ACL in her left knee, has since undergone surgery for a fracture in her left leg. She been moved to intensive care for privacy reasons following the incident, according to the Daily Mail.
The heartbreaking moment unfolded in a matter of seconds when Vonn failed to stick the landing and crashed into the powder.
A stunned crowd, which included Vonn’s family, fell silent as medical personnel tended to the three-time Olympic medalist.
“That was definitely the last thing we wanted to see. It happened quick…” Vonn’s sister, Karin Kildow, told NBC. “She just dared greatly. She put it all out there. It’s really hard to see, but we hope she is okay.”
Vonn had been competing in her fifth Olympics after coming out of retirement in November 2024.
The Olympic gold medalist had been hoping to author an epic comeback after suffering an ACL injury in the lead-up to the games, when she crashed during a World Cup race in Switzerland in late January.
She had completed successfully completed two training runs entering Sunday’s race.
American Breezy Johnson won gold in the women’s downhill, becoming the second U.S. woman after Vonn to do so. Johnson’s victory marked the first gold medal for Team USA.
