Lindsey Vonn Suffers Broken Leg During Winter Olympics

Skier Lindsey Vonn was diagnosed with a broken leg after a fall during the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Vonn’s body struck a gate while she was attempting her first big jump of the Olympics. Her right ski clipped the gate during her jump, which caused her to lose control and crash. She was only 13 seconds into her race. 

The race was put on hold. Vonn was put on a stretcher and airlifted by helicopter to a local hospital. The race stopped for nearly 20 minutes due to Vonn’s injury. 

The U.S. Ski & Snowboarding social media accounts put out a statement saying Vonn was in good condition. Both Team USA physicians and local Italian physicians helped tend to her injury.

Vonn, 41, would’ve been the oldest woman to ever medal in skiing. She won gold at the 2010 Vancouver Games. 

Vonn had suffered a torn ACL just nine days before. This was in Switzerland during her last scheduled race before the Olympics. She had done two successful practice runs of the Olympic course leading up to the event. 

Breezy Johnson avenged her Team USA teammate by winning the gold medal. Johnson was the second woman to win a gold medal in skiing for the U.S., joining Vonn. 

Meanwhile, hometown hero Sofia Goggia won the bronze medal for Team Italy. This was the third straight time Goggia has won a skiing medal at the Olympics. 

Women’s cross-country skiing and alpine skiing are scheduled for Feb. 10. The cross-country skiing event relies more on endurance rather than speed. Alpine skiing goes strictly downhill and requires stiffer boots. Alpine skiing is the kind of skiing you generally find at ski resorts in the United States and Canada. It’s an easy form of skiing to understand but can be hard to master.