MILAN – Lindsey Vonn broke her leg during the women’s downhill competition on Sunday, February 8, at the 2026 Winter Olympics. Vonn, who was skiing on a torn ACL, got her arm caught in a gate and fell.
She was airlifted from the slopes and taken to a clinic in Cortina before being transferred to a hospital in Treviso, two hours south. Bong underwent surgery at Cafonchero Hospital to stabilize his fractured left leg, the hospital said in a statement.
US Ski said Vonn is in stable condition. Cafonchero Hospital said in a statement to The Associated Press that she was treated by a multidisciplinary team and “underwent orthopedic surgery to stabilize a reported fracture in her left leg.”
“She’ll be fine, but it’s going to take some time,” Anouk Paty, director of U.S. Ski and Snowboard Sports, told The Associated Press. “This sport is brutal, so people have to remember that when they see athletes throwing themselves off mountains and going really, really fast.”
What happened to Lindsey Vonn?
Bong caught the fourth gate with his right arm, causing him to lose his balance. She struggled to regain control, but her legs were already spread and her weight quickly shifted to the back of the ski, pulling her backwards. She fell to her right and tumbled headfirst into the snow.
“Things happen so fast in this sport,” American teammate Vera Wright said after the race. “Lindsay seemed to have incredible speed coming out of that turn and ended up catching her arm.”
The three-time Olympic medalist remained face down in the snow and screams of pain could be heard. Fans’ gasps and groans died down to a shocked silence as medical workers treated her. Vonn remained on course for approximately 13 minutes before being loaded onto a helicopter.
Follow the live file from Cortina on the day of the crash for all the details.
Lindsey Vonn Accident Video
NBC broadcast the Olympics and posted footage of Vonn’s collision.
USA TODAY Sports’ Samantha Cardona-Norberg provides commentary in the aftermath of Lindsday Vonn’s crash.
Fans fell silent as soon as Vonn crashed, reacting with shock and sadness, then cheering as a helicopter hoisted her into the sky. USA TODAY Sports spoke to some fans after the accident.
Is Lindsey Vonn okay?
After the crash, Vonn was clearly in pain but was able to move her arms, head and neck.
Approximately 18 minutes after the crash, the helicopter slowly began its flight towards Cortina. “Let’s hear from Lindsey Vonn!” the American announcer said as the helicopter flew away with her, and the crowd cheered and applauded.
Vonn’s sister Karin Kildow was on the downhill course today and told an NBC reporter during a live broadcast:
“That was definitely something that we didn’t want to see happen and it happened so fast, and then you just hope she’s okay right away. And then when you start seeing the stretcher coming out, that’s scary because that’s not a good sign,” Kildow said. “But she really… she was very brave and put it all out there. So it’s really hard to tell, but we really hope she’s okay.”
“She has all her surgeons and PT staff here, as well as her doctors, so I’m sure they’ll give us a report and we’ll see her wherever she is at the hospital.”
Lindsey Vonn suffers anterior cruciate ligament tear
It was the second time in recent weeks that Vonn had left the summit by helicopter. She suffered a complete rupture of her left anterior cruciate ligament, a torn meniscus and bone contusions in a downhill accident on January 30, the last World Cup event before the start of the Olympics.
Vonn has had her right knee partially replaced and is also skiing. She was dominating the sport even before her accident, finishing on the podium in all five downhill races this season and winning two of them.
Despite her recent injury, Vonn was determined to compete in her fifth and final Olympics. She said her knee feels stable and strong and has been doing intensive rehabilitation, pool training, weightlifting and plyometrics over the last week. She skied both training runs and had the third fastest time on the second run before it was canceled due to fog and snow.
How old is Lindsey Vonn
Vonn, 41, skied in her fifth Winter Olympics (2002, 2006, 2010, 2018 and 2026). She won three medals at the Olympics (1 gold, 2 bronze).
