The women’s downhill final at the Winter Olympics took a harrowing turn just seconds in, as Lindsey Vonn—a skiing icon chasing history—suffered a violent crash that instantly silenced the crowd.
Racing down the icy Cortina slope at high speed, Vonn clipped a gate, lost control, and tumbled violently.
Spectators watched in horror as she struck the snow, her helmeted head hitting the icy surface, a stark reminder of how unforgiving alpine skiing can be.
Medical teams rushed to her side, and within minutes she was airlifted from the course.
The 41-year-old American had already faced an uphill battle: only days earlier, she had torn the ACL in her left knee during a World Cup race—an injury that would normally end any Olympic hopes.
Yet Vonn pushed through rehabilitation, completing enough training runs to qualify for the final, chasing the record as the oldest skier to medal in Olympic history.
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