Winter Olympics legend Lindsey Vonn showed unwavering support for Team USA despite a severe crash during the downhill event in Cortina d’Ampezzo. Gold medalist Breezy Johnson shared that the 41-year-old skier cheered her on even as medical teams airlifted her to the hospital following the fall.
Vonn’s Dramatic Crash and Comeback
Vonn made her first Olympic appearance since 2018, returning after a temporary retirement and skipping the 2022 Games. Her run ended abruptly when she clipped a flag marker near the top of the course, sending her tumbling. Just one week prior, she revealed a complete rupture of her left knee’s ACL, yet competed in what many view as her final Games.
Organizers cleared her to race, drawing both criticism and praise for her resilience. Vonn has since undergone surgery to address her injuries.
Breezy Johnson’s Gold Medal Triumph
Johnson, 30, completed her run before Vonn’s descent, clocking one minute, 36.10 seconds to secure gold—edging Germany’s Emma Aicher by 0.04 seconds. She became only the second American to win Olympic downhill gold, following Vonn’s victory in 2010.
“Her coach said she was cheering for me in the helicopter, so I hope for the best for her,” Johnson stated. “I hope that it’s not too bad. My heart aches for her. It’s such a brutal sport sometimes. 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.”
The victory marked Johnson’s redemption after missing the 2022 Olympics due to injury. Exactly 12 months earlier, she claimed her first world titles in downhill and team combined at the 2025 Alpine World Ski Championships in Austria.
Mutual Support Between Teammates
Johnson reciprocated Vonn’s encouragement with a heartfelt message: “I wish you all the best and I hope to see you back. What you have already accomplished is so much, it is incredible, and my heart hurts for you and I wish you all the best.”
The crash drew an emotional response from commentator Chemmy Alcott, who fought back tears while describing Vonn lying motionless on the slope.
Earlier this month, Johnson defended Vonn’s participation despite the knee injury. Responding to a fan query on social media, she wrote: “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. 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.”
