41-year-old American Alpine skier, Lindsey Vonn, experienced a violent crash at the February 8th Olympics Women’s Downhill race. Less than 20 seconds into her run, Vonn’s right ski pole got caught inside Gate Four, causing her to lose control mid-air and suffer a severe fall.

Nine days before competing at the 2026 Winter Olympics, Vonn ruptured her ACL in her left knee during a World Cup downhill event in Switzerland; however, she was confident it would not interfere with her performance in Italy.

“Every day my knee’s gotten better. And every day we’re discussing with a full medical team, doctors, physios, everyone, to make sure we’re doing everything to make sure I am making smart and safe decisions,” Vonn said in an interview with AP News.

Vonn already had a history of medical interference with the demanding sport prior to her incident at the Olympics, such as having a partial knee replacement in 2024. The cause of the crash is primarily believed to be the speed at which Vonn was traveling, not her ACL rupture. Vonn sustained a complex tibia fracture, meaning the bones around her shin shattered and caused soft tissue damage.

“First, the shock and the horror of the whole thing, seeing a crash like that,” Alan Kildow, Vonn’s father, said in an interview with AP News. “It can be dramatic and traumatic. You’re just horrified at what those kinds of impacts have.”

Vonn’s fans are left wondering whether she will return or be forced to retire from skiing due to the circumstances.

“There will be no more ski races for Lindsey Vonn, as long as I have anything to say about it,” Kildow said.

Since February 8th, Vonn has had at least five surgeries on the injury and continues to focus on her health and recovery.