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Lindsey Vonn of Team USA crashed a few seconds into her downhill ski race, and had to be airlifted to the hospital. (Photo Credits: Foto Olimpik / NurPhoto via Getty Images & Daniel Kopatsch / VOIGT / GettyImages)

Lindsey Vonn Wasn’t Give Up On Her Olympic Dreams

On Sunday (February 8), U.S. Olympian Lindsey Vonn crashed during a race and had to be airlifted to the hospital.

41-year-old Vonn is one of the most decorated skiers in the world. Over the course of her career, she has earned three Olympic medals (one gold) and four World Cup overall championships.

Vonn retired from elite skiing for nearly six years before returning last season. Once she did, Vonn proved to be as powerful a competitor as ever. Many considered her a favorite to win a gold medal at this year’s Winter Olympics.

But Vonn’s Olympic future came into question after she crashed during a race in Switzerland just a few days before the games began. She ruptured her ACL, suffered a bone bruise, and damaged her meniscus.

Despite this, Vonn remained determined to ski in the Olympics. Just one day before her downhill run, she said:

“I will stand in the starting gate tomorrow and know I am strong. Know that I believe in myself. Know that the odds are stacked against me with my age, no ACL, and a titanium knee- but know that I still believe. And usually, when the odds are stacked against me the most, I pull the best of what’s inside me out.

I will race tomorrow in my final Olympic Downhill and while I can’t guarantee a good result, I can guarantee I will give it everything I have. But no matter what happens, I have already won.”

Lindsey Vonn Had To Be Airlifted Off The Course Of The Olympics’ Downhill Ski Race

Vonn took to the course to race in the women’s downhill event on Sunday (February 8). It’s the same event that Vonn earned a gold medal for in 2010, becoming the first American woman to do so.

ESPN reports that Vonn was only a few seconds into her race when she lost control over the opening traverse and crashed. USA Today details how she hooked the fourth gate with her right arm, which threw her off balance. Despite her efforts to regain control, she fell headfirst into the snow.

Vonn could be heard screaming in pain as medical personnel rushed to her aid.

The Olympics paused the race for over 20 minutes. Vonn was eventually airlifted off the mountain by a helicopter and taken to a hospital for treatment.

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Vonn’s family members, including her sister, Karin Kildow, were watching in the crowd when she crashed.

“That definitely was the last thing we wanted to see,” Kildow said. “She always goes 110 percent, there’s never anything less, so I know she put her whole heart into it and sometimes things happen. It’s a very dangerous sport.”

Andorra’s Cande Moreno crashed later in the downhill race, and was also airlifted off of the mountain.

Vonn’s teammate, U.S. skier Breezy Johnson, won the gold medal in the event. Emma Aicher of Germany won silver, and Italy’s Sofia Goggia won bronze.

Johnson spoke about Vonn’s crash, with ESPN quoting her as saying:

“I hope it’s not as bad as it looked. I know how difficult it is to ski this course and how sometimes because you love this course so much, when you crash on it and it hurts you like that, it hurts that much worse. My heart just goes out to her.”

The severity of Vonn’s injuries remains unknown as of press time.

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