Lindsey Vonn suffered a horror crash at the 2026 Winter Olympics, but the US skier’s thoughts were still elsewhere as she was airlifted off the mountain
Lindsey Vonn was cheering her team to victory even in her deepest moment of despair(Image: Al Bello, Getty Images)
Winter Olympics legend Lindsey Vonn refused to let her devastating crash at the Winter Olympics stop her from backing Team USA. Gold medal-winning team-mate Breezy Johnson revealed Vonn was cheering her on while being airlifted from Cortina d’Ampezzo after her fall during the downhill event.
Vonn, 41, was competing at her first Winter Olympics since 2018 after temporarily stepping away from the sport and sitting out the 2022 Games. But Sunday’s return ended in disaster when she caught a flag marker on the upper section of the course and was thrown into the air.
The crash was particularly devastating given Vonn, who has since undergone surgery, had only recently disclosed she had “completely ruptured” her ACL in her left knee one week before her Olympics comeback. While some criticised organisers and coaches for permitting the veteran to compete in what’s probably her final Games, others praised her demonstration of courage and determination.
Johnson, 30, was among those offering support and disclosed that Vonn was celebrating her success even while being airlifted away in a helicopter. She had already finished her run prior to Vonn’s descent, and her performance was good enough to claim top spot on the podium.
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“Her coach said she was cheering for me in the helicopter, so I hope for the best for her,” she said. “I hope that it’s not too bad. My heart aches for her. It’s such a brutal sport sometimes.
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“I had a good feeling, and I can’t really believe it yet. I knew I had to push and go harder than I did in training. I couldn’t afford to be anything other than clean.”
Johnson clinched gold, finishing just 0.04 seconds ahead of Germany’s Emma Aicher and earning her first Olympic medal. Consequently, she became only the second American athlete to win gold in this event, with Vonn being the first back in 2010.
Vonn’s cries of pain elicited an emotional reaction from BBC commentator Chemmy Alcott, who became tearful just describing the scenes as the skier lay “in a clump.” And Johnson sent a message of support back in Vonn’s direction as she celebrated her career highlight.
“I wish you all the best and I hope to see you back,” she added. “What you have already accomplished is so much, it is incredible, and my heart hurts for you and I wish you all the best.”
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Almost exactly 12 months ago, Johnson celebrated another high point in her career at the 2025 Alpine World Ski Championships. It was there she secured her first world titles in the downhill and team combined events in Austria.
And after missing the 2022 Winter Olympics due to injury, she made her cameo count this time around. With Vonn cheering her on from afar, Johnson’s earlier run of one minute, 36.10 seconds was enough to edge her way to the top prize.
Earlier this month, Johnson defended Vonn’s decision to race despite her knee issues. When a fan on social media platform Threads questioned why a replacement hadn’t been named, the newly crowned Olympic champion suggested the public doesn’t always hear the complete picture.
“There will be six Americans running the Downhill training runs, and if Lindsey cannot compete…or doesn’t feel competitive enough, others can take her place,” she wrote. “But more athletes have competed without an ACL than you think. They just often don’t talk about it because they don’t want to hear about it from the peanut gallery.”
