Lindsey Vonn's downhill crash draws admiration, criticism, sympathy
- - Lindsey Vonn's downhill crash draws admiration, criticism, sympathy
Ian Casselberry February 8, 2026 at 8:48 PM
334
Many Olympics fans woke up early to watch Lindsey Vonn pursue a second gold medal in the women's Alpine downhill final, hoping to see the 41-year-old complete a storybook comeback, one made even more compelling by her competing despite tearing the ACL in her left knee.
Unfortunately, those watching live or catching up as they tuned in early Sunday morning saw the disturbing scene of Vonn crashing after making her third turn and laying prone on the snow as medical personnel attended to her. Eventually, a helicopter arrived to airlift her from the scene, creating the sort of moment no one wants in an athletic competition.
Video of Vonn's crash was quickly posted online, with many eager to see what they may have missed on television and more looking to view the accident again, perhaps trying to determine exactly what happened. But photos were soon posted that showed Vonn's right ski pole clipping the gate coming out of her third turn, which sent her spinning out into a harsh landing.
The AP's Jacquelyn Martin has the photo that shows the split-second before Lindsey Vonn's crash: her right ski pole clips the gate at the crest of the jump, which flung her off balance and induced the crash. pic.twitter.com/RKjQ4H4lKg
— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) February 8, 2026
Naturally, the scene from the Tofane slope in Cortina d'Ampezzo was solemn as a previously festive setting turned pensive and quiet.
The sight nobody wanted to see: Helicopter taking injured Lindsey Vonn away from the Olympic downhill venue. pic.twitter.com/TU1A3UpGLr
— Pat Forde (@ByPatForde) February 8, 2026
Fellow U.S. skier Mikaela Shiffrin had no words to express after Vonn's crash, but conveyed her feelings of heartache and sympathy through emojis.
💔🙏🙏🙏 @lindseyvonn
— Mikaela Shiffrin ⛷️ (@MikaelaShiffrin) February 8, 2026
Gold medal figure skater Scott Hamilton was among the former Olympians sharing their admiration for Vonn's spirit in competing through adversity, willing to put herself through the difficulty of fighting with injury to pursue success.
My heart goes out to Lindsay Vonn after the crash she suffered today at the Olympics. I applaud her bravery, wanting to race on a bad ACL, and hope that same determination goes into her return to health.Lindsey Vonn crashes in Olympic Downhill https://t.co/8n5AULNd53
— Scott Hamilton (@ScottHamilton84) February 8, 2026
An Olympic champion, always. Wishing all the best to Lindsey. 🤍
— The Olympic Games (@Olympics) February 8, 2026
Tennis star Rafael Nadal also passed along encouragement, calling Vonn an "inspiration" and praising her for her perseverance.
💪🏼 @lindseyvonn, you are a great inspiration and an example of perseverance. Stay strong and get well soon! 😘
— Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) February 8, 2026
Reactions from spectators were also notable, both on site at Cortina and captured from TV. Snoop Dogg was among the famous in attendance showing concern as Vonn received attention on the course.
Rapper Snoop Dogg wears a blank expression, moments after watching Team USA's Lindsey Vonn crash out of the women’s downhill in Cortina d’Ampezzo this morning. pic.twitter.com/0PdbvodEO4
— Abhijit Pathak (@aajtakabhijit) February 8, 2026
Reflecting the times we live in where many feel the need to record everything first-hand on their phones, several focused on a spectator who continued to get video while others looked on in worry.
This woman continuing to film Lindsey Vonn as she lies in heap after a crash with a torn ACL pic.twitter.com/3qXEOtEwg3
— Alex Kulesh (@barcakulesh) February 8, 2026
Another aspect of the crash observers dwelled on was the grisly audio of Vonn screaming in pain while she lay prone on the snow after crashing and while she was receiving medical attention. TV networks also struggled with how much to show of Vonn's collapse and its aftermath while the event was delayed.
One of the more stomach churning things I’ve seen on television. The cries of pain from Lindsey Vonn will be hard to remove from my mind.
— Dan Wolken (@DanWolken) February 8, 2026
Horrible watching that horrendous Lindsey Vonn crash, and worse hearing her screaming afterwards. Really, really hope it’s better than it seems. She’s a living legend.
— Pablo (@pabloscouse) February 8, 2026
Following Vonn's crash, two sentiments emerged on social media. One was sadness and heartbreak for an inglorious ending to what so many hoped would be an inspirational story.
Absolute nightmare for the great Lindsay Vonn. She completely wiped out early in his first run. Remember, she ruptured her left ACL 9 days ago. Gave it a go. And now disaster strikes. Awful awful scenes. Feel horrible for her.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) February 8, 2026
I have great admiration for Vonn. She went for it. She earned that right based on her results. And she earned the right to choose to put her body under any strain. Of course there is hubris in her decision but there is also no greatness without that self-belief. https://t.co/exQOq9nxjC
— Richard Deitsch (@richarddeitsch) February 8, 2026
The other, uglier opinion was that Vonn shouldn't have competed in this event with such a serious injury, leading toward an inevitable outcome.
It boils me with rage that Lindsey Vonn was even allowed to start this bloody race in the first place.A heartbreaking albeit sadly predictable outcome. https://t.co/21QDWU7LuX
— Bastien Fachan (@BastienFachan) February 8, 2026
Additionally. some commented on the discourse that was developing online, noting the criticism that seemed especially harsh and unfair in the moment while also acknowledging the mentality that motivated Vonn to ski despite her body creating obstacles.
Lots of armchair critics piping up about Lindsey Vonn, saying she shouldn’t have raced today.She knows her own body better than anyone else.Was 3rd quickest in training yesterday, with a respectable time.Podium wasn’t totally out of the question, so why not give it a go?
— Chris Brown (@ChrisBrownSport) February 8, 2026
The aftermath of Vonn's accident brought a variety of reactions that can be expected in virtually any event occurring today on social media, ranging from sympathy to hostility expressed by athletes and celebrities familiar with such experiences, along with nearly anonymous viewers sharing their opinions.
Source: “AOL Sports”
