U.S. ski great Lindsey Vonn was flown to hospital after her audacious bid to win Olympic downhill gold with a ruptured ACL ended in a horrific crash after 13 seconds on Sunday.
A helicopter was taking the 41-year-old to hospital in Treviso, a source told Reuters, after she was strapped into a medical stretcher and winched off the sunlit Olimpia delle Tofane piste in Cortina d’Ampezzo.
“Lindsey sustained an injury, but is in stable condition and in good hands with a team of American and Italian physicians,” the U.S. Ski + Snowboard Team said in a statement.
Vonn, whose battle to reach the start line despite her knee injury dominated the opening days of the Milano Cortina Olympics, saw her unlikely quest halted in screaming agony on the snow.
Luge: Germany absolutely love the luge. From a possible 52 gold medals since luge featured on the Winter Olympic programme, Germany have topped the podium 38 times. Vorsprung durch technik, baby!
Quick someone get me a bucket the BBC are airing a sycophantic montage about British snowboarder Mia Brookes. That said she is a strong medal hope in the women’s big air. She goes in qualification in about 90min. Apparently she likes Metallica. Gnarly.
Who is excited for some luge?! The men’s singles final is on the way in an hour or so. Your favourites in no particular order are: Austria’s Jonas Müller, Felix Loch of Germany and Max Langenhan also coming straight outta Deutschland. Alles klar!
What a penultimate race that was with the Eitrem and the Czech skater stealing in for the big medals. The final podium in the men’s 5,000m:
1. Sander Eitrem (Nor) 6min 03.95sec
2. Mitodej Jilek (Cz) +2.53sec
3. Ricardo Lorello (It) +5.27
Unbelievable from the Norweigan to win by such a massive margin! Norway extend their lead at the top of the medal table with three golds now.
Speed skating: NOW then, Sander Eitrem sets an Olympic record in the men’s 5000m! The Norwegian blazes a trail into the ice in 6min 3.95sec and now sits in gold position. Meanwhile Mitodej Jilek of Czechia crashes the Italian party with a time of 6:06.48 to sit second. Riccardo Lorello shunted down into bronze. Drama!
Hockey: Lisa Johansson puts Sweden 4-0 up against France in Group B of the women’s ice hockey. That’s four goals from four different scorers. That took just 56 seconds of the second period. Rapid.
Speed skating: Davide Ghiotto comes just short of his countryman Riccardo Lorello in the men’s 5000m with a run of 6min 9.57 sec just 0.35sec behind in silver medal position as it stands. The American Casey Dawson finishes fifth. Ghiotto was still ahead by one tenth with one lap remaining but just fell away at the last. Great for the home crowd though with an Italian 1-2 on the cards!
Speed skating: Past halfway and Ghiotto roars into gold by 0.33 sec! Can he hold on?!
Speed skating: Another Italian now as Davide Ghiotto takes on the USA’s Casey Dawson. The American has a shot at a medal and so does the home hope! Here we go! Ghiotto only 0.35sec down on gold in the first 1000m.
Speed skating: Oof not great from either as Malfatti finishes 7th and Maly 10th. The former looks dejected at finishing so far off the pace at his home Olympics. Never mind, Michele.
Luge: They are underway in the men’s singles with the final to come around 5.30pm.
Speed skating: Race seven pits Felix Maly of Germany against Italy’s Michele Malfatti. The stylish Italian (tautologous?) races off with one black boot and one white. Molto bene!
Speed skating: Crisis alert!!! No Dutchman on the podium potentially in the men’s 5000m. Chris Huizinga of the Netherlands finishes in 6min 11sec and is third as it stands but I am reliably informed he is unlikely to finish there with the heavyweights still to race.
Speed skating: The men’s 5000m is back underway! Does anyone else get the feeling skating for over six minutes with your arms behind your back the entire time would feel slightly uncomfortable? Their shoulders must seriously burn. Our commentator informs us speed skaters do a lot of cycling. Cool!
Hockey: Sweden are skating away with it taking a 3-0 lead over France. Hanna Thuvik this time with the goal. We’re still only in the first period. Calm down!
Hockey: Sara Hjalmarsson puts Sweden 2-0 up against France in the powerplay. Margot Huot-Marchand watches on from the penalty box after a naughty bit of tripping.
Hockey: Sweden take the lead through Thea Johansson against France. 1-0 Sverige! Before faceoff the Swedes were top of Group B with two wins from two while France sit bottom with two defeats in two matches.
Speed skating: At the halfway stage in the men’s 5000m the standings are as follows …
Riccardo Lorello, Italy – 6min 09.22sec
Peder Konshaug, Norway – 6:11.31
Stijn van de Bunt, Netherlands – 6:12.94
Gabriel Gross, Germany – 6:14.40
Marcel Bosker, Netherlands – 6:17.47
Sigurd Henriksen, Norway – 6:18.24
The 23-year-old Italian untouchable in the opening runs but we will see what the big guns have got after the break.
Hockey: We are underway in the women’s preliminary round with France taking on Sweden. Scoreless so far in the first period.
The curling mixed doubles table reads as follows: 1 (Q) Team GB 7-1; 2 Italy 5-2; 2 USA 5-2; 4 Sweden 5-3; 5 Switzerland 4-3; 6 Canada 3-4; 7 Korea 2-5; 7 Norway 2-5; 9 Estonia 2-6; 9 Czechia 2-6
Speed skating: In the third race Riccardo Lorello hits the top of the charts with a time of 6min 09.22sec in the men’s 5000m. The Italian with a blistering run, he is in the hot seat for the gold! And on his Olympic debut.
Team GB 6-7 Switzerland
USA 5-3 Estonia
Italy 8-2 Czechia
Canada 6-7 Sweden
Britain still the only team to have qualified for the semis!
Curling: So unlucky for Team GB. Jennifer Dodds has a chance to clinch the match with her final shot but is just off the mark. The Swiss seize the chance and earn a dramatic final end comeback victory. The final score: Switzerland 7-6 Team GB. Not so bad for Dodds and Bruce Mouat considering they are already through to the semi-finals, they have seven wins and one defeat and will play their final round robin match against Italy in a bit. The Italians thrashed Czechia 8-2 just now so could be a cracker.
Speed skating: Stijv van de Bunt of the Netherlands takes the second race with a time of 6min 12.94sec and knocks Gabriel Gross off his perch in the men’s 5000m.
Speed skating: Gabriel Gross has beaten Marcel Bosker in the first race in the men’s 5,000m event and tops the leaderboard with a time of 6min 14.40sec. Admittedly it is the first race of the day but still top of the pops with an upset as the favoured Dutchman is beaten. Only six seconds out from the world record!
Thank you, Yara! And just like that Team GB have taken a 6-5 lead in the 7th end of their mixed doubles curling clash! 5-4 down against the Swiss, Jennifer Dodds and Bruce Mouat are ahead as they look to earn an incredible eighth win from eight matches in the round. One end to play, let’s goooooo!
That is me done for the day. I leave you with Graham Searles to take you through some more action.
If you are just joining us, here has how today has shaped up so far.
Lindsey Vonn’s was airlifted to hospital after crashing in the early stages of her women’s downhill run. The 41-year-old damaged her ACL when falling in a World Cup contest at Crans-Montana just over a week ago, but was determined to compete today.
Starting as the 13th skier, Vonn clipped a gate and somersaulted off the course just seconds into her run. She was on the ground for about 15 minutes before being airlifted off the course, with spectators cheering her as the helicopter flew over.
The crash dampened celebrations for her US teammate Breezy Johnson, who was in tears sitting in the gold medal chair at the bottom of the run watching her teammate being attended to. Germany’s Emma Aicher won silver and Italy’s Sofia Goggia took bronze.
Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo cruised to a sixth Olympic gold medal in the men’s skiathlon. The 29-year-old was in the lead pack throughout, hammering competitors in the sprint to end, ahead of Mathis Desloges of France and Norwegian pacemaker Martin Loewstroem Nyenget, who were 2.0 seconds and 2.1 seconds behind.
The French escaped instant disqualification after skiing through the cones to cut a corner, with judges expected to review the race.
The veteran Austrian snowboarder Benjamin Karl defended his Olympic men’s parallel giant slalom crown in thrilling style, powering back to beat South Korea’s Kim Sang-kyum. Karl, competing in what are expected to be his final Games, was trailing for much of the final in Livigno but crossed the line 0.19sec in front of his rival.
The Czech snowboarder Zuzana Maderova won gold in the women’s parallel giant slalom after the shock exit of the defending champion, Ester Ledecka.
The 22-year-old Maderova enjoyed a comfortable victory over Ledecka’s conqueror Sabine Payer, cruising to victory by 0.83sec. Italy’s Lucia Dalmasso took bronze.
France won the mixed 4x6km relay biathlon, with Italy taking silver and Germany in bronze.
You can keep across the happenings of each day with our schedule, results and medal table.
Biathlon: France’s Julia Simon, who just helped secure gold in the mixed relay was found guilty of theft and credit card fraud in October. She was accused of repeatedly using the bank card of her France teammate, Justine Braisaz-Bouchet, and that of a French team staff member to make online purchases totalling more than €2,000 (£1,371).
After the court case, Simon received a six-month ban from the French ski federation, but five months were suspended so she was able to compete at these Olympics.
Curling: Team GB’s Jennifer Dodds and Bruce Mouat are the only team to have sealed their spot in the semi-finals after winning all seven of the games they have played in the tournament.
But they have not had the best of starts in this session against Switzerland’s Yannick Schwaller and Briar Schwaller-Hürlimann. They trail 4-2.
Julia Simon hit all 10 of her shots as she stormed through the final leg to secure gold for France in a thrilling biathlon mixed relay. Simon hit her final five targets and left the range alone, taking her team of Eric Perrot, Quentin Fillon Maillet and Lou Jeanmonnot to a solid win at a time of 1:04:15. This is a sixth Olympic medal for Fillon Maillet.
Lisa Vittozzi anchored the host nation Italy to the silver medal, with the three-time world champions Germany picking up the bronze.
Biathlon: Julia Simon remains out front for France, but Lisa Vittozzi of Italy, Maren Kirkeeide of Norway and Franziska Preuss of Germany all come into the range together.
A quick and clean shoot from Simon while Vittozzi fires off a rapid series of shots. She comes out of the range in second about 20.5sec behind.
Kirkeeide and Preuss both struggle, missing a few … final standing incoming.
Skiing: The head speed coach Paul Kristofic of the United States team said Lindsey Vonn is still under medical evaluation in Cortina, with the team yet to hear any update on Vonn’s condition.
“We don’t know anything really yet,” Kristofic said. “She’s with a medical team in the hospital. She’s getting evaluated right now in Cortina. And then, obviously, depending on the severeness of the injury, they’re going to make decisions where to put her.”
Biathlon: France has surged into the lead in the mixed relay 4x6km event as Lou Jeanmonnot flies around the trails at the Antholz-Anterselva Biathlon Arena, after some great shooting. She now hands it off to Julia Simon. Norway in second and Germany in third.
Benjamin Karl defends his title and is clearly overjoyed, taking his top off before topping face down on the snow. Clearly the adrenaline his sky high if he can withstand the cold. What a win for the 40-year-old who is planning to retire at the end of the season. Korea’s Kim Sang-kyum takes the silver medal after finishing 0.19sec behind Karl.
In the bronze medal race, it needed a photo-finish to determine that Tervel Zamfirov of Bulgaria was the winner. Heartbreaking for Tim Mastnak of Slovenia, who won silver in this event at Beijing 2022.
What a day for Zuzana Maderova of Czech Republic. Sabine Payer came off her line early and Maderova did not waste a moment, finishing 0.83sec ahead of the now silver medallist.
This is Maderova’s first Olympic medal and the third consecutive PGS medal for Czech Republic after Ester Ledecká’s back-to-back victories
Lucia Dalmasso beats her Italian teammate Elisa Caffont to bronze. It is Italy’s first in this event since 2002 in Salt Lake City, which was won by Lidia Trettel.
Snowboard: And in the men’s final, it will be the Olympic champion Benjamin Karl, who really pushed through in the lower section, against Kim Sangkyum of South Korea.
Slovenia’s Tim Mastnak and Bulgaria’s Tervel Zamfirov will fight for bronze.
Snowboard: Austria’s Sabine Payer has guaranteed herself a medal, continuing her incredible Olympic debut by advancing to the final. She will face Zuzana Maderova of the Czech Republic.
The battle for bronze will feature an all-Italian matchup, with Elisa Caffont against Lucia Dalmasso.
Snowboard: The action does not stop for the parallel giant slalom, with the semi-finals of the women’s and men’s underway.
Thanks Geoff and hello all. Been a big day of Olympics action. Earlier today, Ester Ledecka was aiming for a three-peat in the snowboard parallel giant slalom but was knocked out in the quarter-finals. A stumble on a turn meant Austria’s Sabine Payer pipped her to the finish line.
Chris gets in touch via email to say:
Well Payer beating Ester Ledecka definitely wasn’t in the script – it’s been torn up, ceremonially cremated and the ashes scattered on the course.
That is it for me, for today. There’s been plenty already, and a lot more to come. Starting with the PGS semi-finals for women and then men. Taking you through what’s next will be Yara El-Shaboury. Say hi.
Snowboard: Now for the men’s parallel giant slalom quarters. Zamfirov falls, but only after he’s crossed the line to beat Arnaud.
Fischnaller doesn’t finish, he blows wide of one of the gates so that’s a cruisy win for Kim.
Felicetti gets a fast start and is well ahead of Mastnak, but goes too wide on a turn and loses the lead, then loses control trying to catch up. Misses the last gate but he was already going to fall short. It’s technically a DNF.
And in the all-Austrian bout, Benny Karl catches up Promegger and pips him at the line.
Snowboard: Hofmeister falls in her race against Maderova, and Miki loses by two hundredths of a second against Caffont, another photo finish to see whose glove crossed the line first.
So Caffont will give Italy a chance against Maderova in the semis, and Payer against Dalmasso.
Snowboard: Gold medallist at the last two Olympics, blitzed through the qualifying stages until now, but she’s gone! A little bobble early in the run, hit a rough patch that made the board bobble, and it cost her time. She’s beaten by Sabine Payer, the Austrian who in comparison is a much more modest competitor. Ledecká almost makes up the disadvantage – she’s almost a full turn behind Payer at the top of the run, and makes it very close by the end, but Payer holds on. That opens the field for everybody. Ledecká was the closest thing to a sure thing in this discipline. What a boilover.
Snowboard: Into the women’s quarters of the parallel giant slalom, and Krol-Walas has a big advantage early, but Lucia Dalmasso chases her down by the close and sneaks through. Another Italian progressing, to local jubilation. She thought she was done there, but clawed it back.
Snowboard: And the men’s quarters will be:
Arnaud Guadet (Canada)Tervel Zamfirov (Bulgaria)
Sangkyum Kimg (Korea)Roland Fischnaller (Italy)
Tim Mastnak (Slovenia)Mirko Felicetti (Italy)
Andreas Prommegger (Austria)Benjamin Karl (Austria)
That last one was a cracker, the reigning gold medallist knocking out the reigning world champ in a photo finish. Top seed and third seed, somehow ending up against each other this early in the comp, and they raced a borderline perfect race, neck and neck the whole way down. Maurizio Bormolini, the Italian who is knocked out, just beams a big smile and hugs his opponent, as if to say, we gave it everything, what else could I do?
Snowboard: The round of 16 finals are done for the women, the quarter-final qualified boarders will match up like:
Lucia Dalmasso (Italy)Aleksandra Krol-Walas (Poland)
Sabine Payer (Austria)Ester Ledecka (Czechia)
Zuzana Maderova (Czechia)Ramona Hofmeister (Germany)
Elisa Caffon (Italy)Tsbuaki Miki (Japan)
In the qualifiers earlier, the placings were just done by time down the course. Now they’re knockouts based on who finishes first out of each duo.
The final competitor is in, Shepilenko in bib number 36. Grenier of Canada was disqualified, and is the fourth who doesn’t record a final time alone with the three racers we’ve mentioned who crashed earlier. So there are 32 times on the board, and the best of those at 1:36:10 is Breezy Johnson! She clocked that time so early in the day, then had to wait and wait for other competitors to keep falling short.
It will be a day of very mixed feelings, having watched her teammate and friend Lindsey Vonn evacuated from the course, so much of her attention will be directed there. But she’s also an Olympic gold medallist for the first time, having come into these games as the reigning World Championship winner.
She had the most complete run of the day: a couple of stutters, but such a fast finish through the back half of the course, on a tough course that most competitors weren’t confident to attack. She did, and she gets her reward.
Emma Aicher will wonder about the slight balance issues that cost her a few hundredths of a second into silver medal position, but she’s on the podium for Germany. Sofia Goggia takes bronze for Italy, more remarkable for doing it two spots after that long, long delay for Vonn’s injury.
Jacqueline Wiles of the USA would be well pleased with her fourth placing, after starting the event middle of the field and greatly improving on her two previous Olympic finishes.
What a monster of a finish. That final four are travelling in a pack, as they had been doing for kilometres. And within a few hundred metres of the line, on the final climb, Klaebo goes into overdrive. He hurls his poles at the hill, finds more strength in his legs, and burns away from the rest, opening up a gap of dozens of metres in the blink of an eye, winning so comprehensively that he can slow up and coast the last few strides to the line, looking around and soaking up the feeling, the moment. The rest can only scramble after him.
Desloges gets in for the silver, Nyenget the bronze, while Lapalus blows up his engine at the last and finishes fifth behind Korostelev.
That’s gold in the first of Klaebo’s six events in these Games. Keep a very close eye on him, he might be on for a special fortnight.
The Guardian
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