Lindsey Vonn ruptured her ACL in a recent World Cup crash, but will still try to compete at the Milan Cortina Olympics, she said Tuesday.
“I know what my chances were before the crash and I know my chances aren’t the same as it stands today,” she told reporters.
“But I know there’s still a chance, and as long as there’s a chance, I will try.”
Vonn was skiing in the downhill event at the Alpine Ski World Cup in Crans-Montana, Switzerland on Friday when she lost control coming out of a jump.
She crashed into a safety net and began favoring her left leg. Vonn was eventually airlifted to a hospital for further evaluation.
Vonn, 41, retired from skiing in February 2019 due to a career filled with injuries, but she announced her return to the sport in November 2024.
Lindsey Vonn is airlifted to the hospital after sustaining an injury following a crash during her run Friday.Denis Balibouse / Reuters
Vonn has won three Olympic medals and last competed in the Winter Games in 2018. She won her only Olympic gold in 2010 in the women’s downhill competition.
At the time of her retirement, Vonn was the winningest woman in skiing, with 82 World Cup victories — a record that has since been broken by fellow American Mikaela Shiffrin.
Vonn largely dominated skiing until injuries slowed her down.
She won three straight World Cups from 2008 to 2010 and another in 2012. Since 2013, however, Vonn has torn multiple ligaments in her knee, sustained multiple fractures, and in April 2024 she underwent a knee replacement surgery.
Her comeback had been successful before the crash. Entering the race in Switzerland, Vonn was ranked first in the women’s downhill, leading second-place Emma Aicher by 144 points.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
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