Olympic skier helicoptered off slope following brutal crash nine days after rupturing ACL

American skiing legend Lindsey Vonn, 41, has crashed during the women's downhill competition at the 2026 Winter Olympics, before being airlifted to hospital.

The four-time Olympic medallist announced just over a week ago that she had seriously injured her knee, explaining on Instagram that she was dealing with a ruptured ACL, a bone bruise and meniscal damage.

The sports world theorised that the injury took place prior to last week, which is why she was able to compete in today's event (8 February), but the Team USA athlete claimed it happened last Friday.

After crashing on the iconic Olimpia delle Tofane course in Cortina, Vonn was tended to by the medical team for a lengthy period before being taken for further treatment.

She had replied to rumours about her injury on social media, saying: "My ACL was fully functioning until last Friday. Just because it seems impossible to you doesn’t mean it’s not possible. And yes, my ACL is 100% ruptured. Not 80% or 50%. It’s 100% gone."

The skier, who won gold in downhill at the 2010 Winter Olympics, had completed two successful training runs on the course, but suffered a crash early on in her attempt.

Vonn was determined to follow through with the event despite the huge risks, with what is set to be the legend's final Olympics.

The athlete had recorded the third-fastest time in the second downhill training session, though the promising early signs came crashing down after Vonn clipped one of the flags and went down.

Vonn, who had experienced 12 of her 84 World Cup wins on the piste of Olimpia delle Tofane, could be seen screaming in pain after crashing, with onlookers watching in horror.

You can view the footage here:

Vonn wasn't sure about the impact which her injured knee could take, but aimed to perform in the downhill as her favoured event, with it now being unlikely that she would compete in the super-G and team events.

It suggests that her Olympic career has come to a tragic end, as Vonn clipped the first gate when going down the hill, putting her off balance mid-turn, causing the fall.

Just the 13th woman to go in the event, the treatment she received caused a huge delay in the competition, as fellow Team USA member Breezy Johnson could be seen with her head in her hands.

Vonn's coach, Aksel Lund Svindal, suggested that she could pull off something spectacular, though this was sadly not the case.

The experienced skier looked relaxed during training runs and before the race today.

Vonn had actually retired from the sport in 2019 as the most decorated female skier at the time, due to numerous severe leg injuries, before making a sensational return in 2024.

She was tipped for a podium spot in the 2026 Olympics after successful performances in the 25/26 season, where she reached the podium in all five races, winning two.

Now, though, her competitive career hangs in the balance.