Spectators in the Cortina d’Ampezzo grandstands fell into stunned silence as a yellow helicopter hovered above the snow, moments after Lindsey Vonn lay motionless following a horrifying crash in the Olympic downhill final, her cries of pain echoing across the course as she was airlifted away. From the finish area, her sister Karin Kildow could only watch in fear, having traveled to Milan to support Vonn’s final Olympic bid, now left praying for her safety as medics rushed to help. Having witnessed the entire incident unfold in real time, her concern was evident as she spoke briefly with reporters in the immediate aftermath.

“It’s not a good sign. But when that happens, you’re just like immediately hoping she’s okay and it was scary because when you start to see the stretchers being put out, it’s not a good sign,” said a concerned Kildow.

“But she really, we were just saying like the man in the arena, like she just dared greatly and she put it all out there. So it’s really hard to see, but we just really hope she’s okay.”

Amid the uncertainty of watching Vonn being airlifted and screaming in pain, Kildow just hoped for a positive update on Vonn’s condition, “So I don’t really know exactly what happened, but you know, I did it did look like a pretty rough fall. So we’re just hoping for the best.”

But while praying for her sister’s health, Kildow defended Vonn’s decisions and mindset when asked by the reporter if this crash would leave Vonn with any regrets.

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“She [Vonn] always goes 110%. There’s never anything less. So I know she put her whole heart into it, and sometimes, just like things happen. It’s a very dangerous sport, and you know, there’s a lot of variables at play,” Kildow said, commending Vonn’s bravery.

Vonn’s Olympic run had already been hanging by a thread after she completely ruptured the ACL in her left knee during a World Cup crash just days earlier. Despite the injury, along with bone bruising and meniscus damage, the 41-year-old chose to compete anyway, driven by what she later described as her pure love for ski racing.

Concerns about her racing in such condition had been mounting all week. However, the crash itself came after Vonn’s right arm and ski pole clipped a gate early in the famed Tofane course, sending her spinning violently into the snow. Before even reaching the first marker, her run and her comeback were over.

Vonn was heard screaming while she was being taken off the snow, causing the event to be paused for over 20 minutes. During this duration, the medical team helped her get airlifted, as spectators, Snoop Dogg, and even her family watched from afar, which has left them uncertain about the situation.

Kildow further added on Vonn’s condition, “You know, it’s funny, I don’t really know what happens from here. Obviously, she was airlifted out. So I think we’ll probably just wait.”

“She does have all of her Surgeons and her PT staff here, and her doctors. So I’m sure they’ll give us a report, and we’ll meet her at whatever hospital she’s at But I think she’s being evaluated right now is the only thing we’ve heard. So hopefully, we hear more soon,” she added.

Earlier that same morning, Kildow had posted a cheerful video from her hotel room, excited to cheer her sister on, calling it a “perfect day.” Just hours later, that optimism turned into one of the most frightening moments the family had ever experienced.

After all, the nature of the entire incident was just brutal. And this has attracted comments from those present around.

Lindsey Vonn’s brutal crash has drawn in reactions

As the visuals of Lindsey Vonn’s crash played on the big screen, her competitor Breeze Johnson, who later ended up winning gold, covered her face with her hand. The intensity and speed with which Vonn crashed definitely shocked a skier who knows the repercussions this could have.

Meanwhile, Lindsey Vonn’s compatriot, Mikaela Shiffrin also posted her reaction to Vonn’s crash online. “💔🙏🙏🙏” added Shiffrin on X while tagging Lindsey Vonn.

A few others were also concerned about Lindsey Vonn’s situation. Retired ski legend, Tina Maze told Eurosport, “We all know the difficulties that Lindsey was going through these last days and to come to the race I think she just leveled up too much and risked too much and that’s why this kind of crash can happen.”

Just hours before the downhill, Vonn had shared a powerful message on social media, acknowledging the odds stacked against her, her age, her torn ACL, and even the titanium knee from past surgeries, but insisting she would give everything she had one final time. “No matter what happens,” she wrote, “I have already won.”

Now, with prayers pouring in from everywhere, only time will tell Vonn’s condition following this DNF.