In a devastating turn of events, American skiing legend Lindsey Vonn crashed during Sunday’s World Cup super-G race in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy while on pace for a podium finish. The 40-year-old, who returned to competition last month after nearly six years of retirement, lost control on her left hip midway through the Olympic course but fortunately appeared to avoid serious injury.
The disappointing crash dealt a tough blow to Vonn’s fairy-tale comeback bid. The winningest female skier in history had her sights set on earning one more Olympic medal at the 2026 Winter Games, which will feature women’s events on this very Cortina slope. Sunday marked Vonn’s second fall in four days, after she also crashed during Thursday’s downhill training run.
Vonn’s Illustrious but Injury-Plagued Career
With a record 82 World Cup victories, Lindsey Vonn undisputedly reigns as the greatest women’s skier of all time. However, the 2010 Olympic downhill champion’s career has been repeatedly derailed by devastating injuries, including multiple ACL tears, a broken ankle, and a gruesome crash at the 2013 World Championships that left her with a concussion and torn MCL and ACL.
After years of relentless surgeries and exhaustive rehab, Vonn officially retired in 2019 as one of the most decorated skiers in history. Her trophy case features three Olympic medals, seven World Championship medals, and an astonishing 20 crystal globes awarded to season title winners on the World Cup circuit.
“If you look at the injuries I’ve had, most doctors would say, ‘You need to stop,'” Vonn reflected in 2018. “But I’m not going to stop until my body stops me.”
Lindsey Vonn
Will Vonn’s Body Cooperate for a 2026 Olympic Run?
Driven by an insatiable competitive fire, Vonn stepped out of retirement at age 40 last month in hopes of making one final Olympic appearance at the 2026 Winter Games. She told the Associated Press that Cortina, where she holds the record with 12 World Cup wins, was the “perfect place” to launch her audacious comeback.
But after suffering falls in both Thursday’s training and Sunday’s race, questions loom about whether Vonn’s battered body can withstand the rigors required to qualify for the Olympics at age 43. Though initial reports suggest she escaped Sunday’s crash without major injuries, it remains a stark reminder of the dangers inherent to hurtling down an icy mountain at 80 mph.
Vonn has proven her doubters wrong time and again throughout her legendary career. But with the ever-present risk of catastrophic injury, the question is: will pursuing this Olympic dream be a glorious final chapter or one risk too many for the GOAT on borrowed time? Only time will tell if Vonn’s body – and sheer force of will – can carry her miraculous comeback story all the way to the 2026 Olympic start gate and the storybook ending she craves.
