Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn suffered a bad crash in the women’s downhill race on Sunday at the Winter Games in Cortina where she was airlifted by a helicopter, dashing her highly anticipated hopes of a comeback and possibly ending her storied career.

The 41-year-old U.S. ski legend lost control after cutting the line of the opening traverse on the race slope too tight. Vonn was seen spinning around in the air and subsequently heard screaming that she wasn’t able to remove her skis. She was immediately surrounded by medical personnel before being strapped to a gurney and flown away in a helicopter. The stunnned crowd watched in silence, then gave Vonn a standing ovation as the yellow helicopter took off.

According to the Associated Press, a mandatory safety air bag inflated under Vonn’s racing suit during the crash, which may have softened her fall.

The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Team later announced in a statement that Vonn “is in stable condition and in good hands with a team of American and Italian physicians.”

Vonn had ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee just nine days ago during her final World Cup downhill race Friday in Crans-Montana, Switzerland.

The Women’s downhill on Sunday resumed about twenty minutes after Vonn’s Olympic wipeoput. The race was won by U.S. teammate Breezy Johnson, who is the reigning world champion. “I hope it’s not as bad as it looked,” Johnson said about Vonn’s crash.

“Lindsey has accomplished so much and will live in a different echelon than I do,” she added. “But I think that to have your name alongside her is really something special.”

Johnson also told TV reporters that Vonn’s coach told her that Vonn was cheering for her in the helicopter.

Vonn’s return from retirement has been one of the marquee storylines for the U.S. Olympic team heading into the Games and a huge focus of NBC’s lead-up coverage.

The skiing legend initially retired in 2019 after persistent knee injuries but announced her return in 2024, undergoing a partial knee replacement to extend her career. She ranks second all-time in World Cup victories with 84 wins, trailing only fellow American Shiffrin’s record 108.