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In a harrowing incident at the Milan Cortina Games, American skiing legend Lindsey Vonn experienced a terrifying crash during the Olympic downhill event. Vonn, who was poised for a remarkable return to the slopes, found herself spinning through the air after clipping a gate just 13 seconds into her run. The crash left spectators and fans in shock as she tumbled down the Dolomite mountainside.
U.S. Ski Team officials, including Sophie Goldschmidt, the president and CEO of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association, have been closely involved in managing Vonn’s recovery process. Speaking to The Associated Press, Goldschmidt confirmed that the team’s medical experts have been overseeing Vonn’s treatment since her dramatic helicopter evacuation following the accident. Vonn, who sustained a complex tibia fracture in her left leg, has already undergone multiple surgeries in Italy.
“We’re currently working through the logistics,” Goldschmidt explained. “Our priority is to ensure she gets the best possible care. We have a fantastic team supporting her, and she’ll be returning to the U.S. for additional surgeries.”
At 41, Vonn had entered the competition with the hopes of clinching a medal, despite battling a torn ACL in her left knee and having a partial titanium replacement in her right knee. The scene of her crash was underscored by a sudden, chilling silence that gripped the audience. “The impact, the silence—everyone was just in shock,” recalled Goldschmidt, who witnessed the incident firsthand. “It was clear that the injury was serious. This incident highlights the inherent dangers of Alpine sports and underscores the extraordinary resilience and bravery of athletes like Lindsey.”
As Vonn prepares to return home, the skiing community rallies around her, offering support and admiration for her indomitable spirit and legacy in the sport.
“I mean, putting your body on the line, going at those speeds, the physicality. Sometimes actually on the broadcast it’s really hard to get that across,” Goldschmidt added. “Danger sometimes brings fans in and is pretty captivating. We obviously hope we won’t have injuries like that but it is unfortunately part and parcel of our sports.”
Vonn herself said she has no regrets.
“When I think back on my crash, I didn’t stand in the starting gate unaware of the potential consequences,” Vonn said in an Instagram post late Saturday. “I knew what I was doing. I chose to take a risk. Every skier in that starting gate took the same risk. Because even if you are the strongest person in the world, the mountain always holds the cards.
“But just because I was ready, that didn’t guarantee me anything. Nothing in life is guaranteed. That’s the gamble of chasing your dreams, you might fall but if you don’t try you’ll never know,” Vonn added.
Goldschmidt visited Vonn at the hospital twice and said, “She’s not in pain. She’s in a stable condition.
“She took an aggressive line and was all in and it was inches off what could have ended up a very different way,” Goldschmidt said. “But what she’s done for our sports and the sport in general, her being a role model, has gone to a whole new level. You learn often more about people during these tough moments than when they’re winning.”
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