After retiring in 2019, undergoing a partial knee replacement surgery, and making a successful comeback at the end of 2024, Lindsey Vonn had one goal in mind. That goal was to compete at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics. But fate has different plans for the legend as she suffered a severe crash. Unfortunately, she wasn’t the only one who faced this fate in the downhill final.

Despite crashing at Crans-Montana just a week before the Winter Olympics and suffering from a 100% torn ACL, the 41-year-old decided to be back on the slopes to compete at the Olympics games. But she suffered another major downhill crash just 13 seconds into the final and was immediately airlifted to the hospital. However, it wasn’t just Vonn who became a victim of an unfortunate crash at the Milan Olympics.

What Happened in the Women’s Downhill on Day 2 of the Winter Olympics?

The alpine skiing events in Milano Cortina began with high drama. While it saw a fair share of historic moments, a series of alarming, high-speed crashes started dominating the headlines.

The spotlight was stuck on Vonn, who was forced to yield to a major crash. The crash occurred exactly 13 seconds into her first Milan run at the Tofane course where Vonn caught a course gate with her right ski pole, which threw her off balance at a high speed.

The crowd watched in horror as Lindsey Vonn lost control after clipping a gate and crashed, forcing a DNF status upon herself. However, she was not the only one to have crashed.

News served to you like never before!

Prefer us on Google, To get latest news on feed

Prefer Us on Google

Who Did Not Finish or Crashed in the Women’s Downhill?

After Lindsey Vonn, Andorra’s Cande Moreno, too, crashed on the snow, twisting her knee. Moreno was the last competitor to compete on the downhill slope.

But as soon as she hit the fastest sections of the course, she crashed after overshooting a jump. She was airlifted to the hospital immediately. 

Apart from Lindsey Vonn and Moreno, Austria’s Nina Ortlieb failed to finish after she had a crash during the final too.

Ortlieb had a bad accident when she collapsed on turned while leaning too much a corner. She the hit a bump, which caused her to overbalance and fall into the slope. Luckily, Ortlieb didn’t sustain any physical injury, she was just dejected after a tough day on the snow.

Lastly, Canada’s Valerie Grenier was disqualified after a technical mishap during the start of her run, near the gate.

Why Did Lindsey Vonn Crash in Her Olympic Comeback?

Lindsey Vonn had been warned. But she was not at all ready to back down. Following a brutal crash that ruptured her ACL, Vonn was advised to withdraw from the Winter Olympics 2026. However, trying to pursue her fourth Olympic medal, Vonn started her race against all the odds. 

But within 10 seconds, as Vonn hooked her right arm in a gate at high speed, she crashed. She started as the 13th racer at the Olimpia delle Tofane course.

Trying to go after her teammate, Breezy Johnson, Lindsey Vonn resorted to a direct line on one of the first right-hand corners. As a result, she went up in the air and came crashing down. The 41-year-old remained unmoved, and the medical assistance came in quickly as she was airlifted to the hospital. 

Why Are Crashes and DNFs So Common in Olympic Downhill Skiing?

Skiers usually reach speeds of up to 150 km/h in order to surge ahead of their opponents. For example, Lindsey Vonn touched about 85mph in one of her training runs. This also includes G-forces higher than those felt during a space shuttle launch. Surely, at such a velocity, the margin for error is extremely thin. Even a minor imbalance or split-second mistake can cause a crash with no chance of recovery.

Additionally, the Olympic courses are often covered with injected artificial snow. This makes the surface harder and icier than natural snow. And if this was not enough, the steep gradients, sharp turns, and jumps increase the risk of losing control, especially upon landing. 

Another major factor contributing to the high number of crashes is the modern skiing equipment. These are engineered to be highly aggressive for better acceleration to beat the competition. While this boosts speed, it also magnifies mistakes, making recovery difficult.