American downhill skier Lindsay Vonn was airlifted from the slopes in Cortina D’Ampezzo, Italy, after a devastating crash just a few seconds into her downhill run on Sunday. Vonn, a three-time Olympic medalist in the sport, had opted to compete despite rupturing her the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in her left knee a week prior to the start of the Winter Olympic Games, and had successfully completed a training run on the course one day prior — but just after the start of her race on Sunday, she hooked her right arm into a gate on the course. She attempted to compensate, but catching her arm had thrown off her balance enough that she was unable to recover. She fell first to one side, and then face first into the snow. She could be heard screaming from the course as medics rush to where she lay face down, and she remained on the course with first responders at her side for about 13 minutes until a helicopter arrived to transport her out. A giant screen shows US’ Lindsey Vonn receiving assistance after a crash in the women’s downhill event during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at the Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre in Cortina d’Ampezzo on February 8, 2026. (Photo by Tiziana FABI / AFP via Getty Images) “That definitely was the last thing we wanted to see and it happened quick and when that happens, you’re just 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,” Vonn’s sister Karin Kildow told NBC News just after the crash. “But she really … 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. 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.” The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Team issued a brief statement via X, saying, “Lindsey Vonn fell in the Olympic downhill and will be evaluated by medical staff.” “We don’t know anything really yet,” Team USA’s Head Speed Coach Paul Kristofic told reporters. “She’s with a medical team in the hospital. She’s getting evaluated right now in Cortina. And then, obviously, depending on the severeness of the injury, they’re going to make decisions where to put her.” Vonn’s teammate Bella Wright commented on the devastating turn of events, saying, “Things just happen so quick in this sport. It looked like Lindsey had incredible speed out of that turn, and she hooked her arm and it’s just over just like that.” Teammate Breezy Johnson ultimately took gold in the downhill event, but her thoughts were with Vonn even as she went to receive her own medal. “I can’t imagine the pain that she’s going through. And it’s not the physical pain. We can deal with physical pain, but the emotional pain is something else. I wish her the best and I hope that this isn’t the end,” Johnson said, likely reflecting on her own experience missing the Beijing Olympics herself after crashing in Cortina, Italy. “I hope for the best for her. My heart aches for her. It’s such a brutal sport sometimes.” During a news conference, Johnson said she’d been told that Vonn was cheering her on even as the helicopter lifted her away.