Lindsey Vonn crashed out of the women’s downhill event at the Winter Olympics as fellow American Breezy Johnson won an emotional gold medal in Cortina.
Vonn, 41, competed for nine days after rupturing a ligament in her left knee, but lost her balance when she hit a gate on her first jump, ending what she said was her dream of winning a medal in what she said would be her final Olympic downhill.
Vonn successfully completed two training runs on the iconic Olimpia delle Tofane course, but was airlifted from the piste after a lengthy period of care.
World champion Johnson shed tears as he was awarded the gold medal with a time of 1 minute 36.10 seconds.
The 30-year-old watched on a big screen with his head in his hands at the finish line as his team-mate crashed and finished sixth and Vonn finished 13th.
Germany’s Emma Aicher won silver by 0.04 seconds, while home favorite Italy’s Sofia Goggia took bronze.
Vonn suffered a major risk for Sunday’s race after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in Switzerland in her last World Cup race before the Olympics, but she is determined to be on course for her preferred event.
Stunned spectators applauded as the helicopter took her down the piste where she had achieved much success in the past. She has won 12 of her 84 World Cup wins here.
Vonn wasn’t sure what her knees could handle, but she targeted downhill as her preferred event and also competed in the Super-G and team events.
Now there is little chance of her competing in any competitions. That means her Olympic career almost certainly came to a tragic end.
