Minnesota’s Lindsey Vonn Suffers Painful Crash, Olympics Now In Question

Lindsey Vonn is widely considered one of Minnesota's most famous and accomplished athletes. Born in St. Paul and raised in the Burnsville area, she began her skiing career at Buck Hill in Burnsville before becoming a globally recognized, record-breaking alpine skier.

Her premier achievements include 82 World Cup wins (at the time, the record), four overall World Cup championships, and three Olympic medals, including downhill gold in 2010.

In February 2019, Vonn retired from professional skiing following the World Championships in Åre, Sweden. She had suffered insurmountable physical injuries and stated her body was "broken beyond repair."  So, despite her amazing skill, drive, and accomplishments, numerous knee injuries, including a 2018 injury that left her without an LCL, were too much to overcome at that time. Or so we thought.

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Lindsey Vonn Announces Her Comeback

After successful right-knee replacement surgery relieved her chronic pain, Lindsey Vonn announced her comeback to competitive skiing in November 2024, with the ultimate goal of competing in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Cortina, Italy.

As the 2026 Winter Olympics drew near, Vonn's training and comeback season were considered "astonishing". The 41-year-old had become the leading downhiller on the World Cup tour, finishing on the podium in 7 out of 8 World Cup races she completed this season, including both downhill and super-G events.

A Late January Crash Puts 20206 Winter Olympic Dream In Question

Sadly, on January 30, 2026, Lindsey Vonn crashed during a World Cup downhill race in Crans-Montana, Switzerland. Despite poor visibility, Vonn had registered the fastest time at the first checkpoint before landing a jump off-balance. She lost control about 20 seconds into her run and skidded into the safety netting.

She would ultimately be airlifted from the course while holding her left knee.

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Lindsey Vonn Issues A Statement Following The Crash

After the incident, Vonn issued a statement stating her disappointment in the timing of the crash, but also stating her Olympic dreams aren't necessarily over.

Now, everyone in Minnesota, and throughout the United States sports world, will hold their collective breaths as her knee is examined and she decides with her doctors if she'll be able to represent the country in February. If she decides she's unable to compete in Italy, you can be sure it's the right decision because we all know she's as tough a competitor as there is.