CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy – A bittersweet victory unfolded on Sunday at the Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre, as Breezy Johnson claimed the gold medal in the women’s Olympic downhill, while teammate Lindsey Vonn’s highly anticipated comeback ended with a devastating crash. Vonn, 41, was airlifted to hospital after losing control on the first jump of the course, sustaining an injury but reported to be in stable condition.
Johnson’s triumph marked the first gold medal for the United States at the , Winter Olympics and the first American women’s downhill gold since Vonn’s own victory at the Vancouver Games in . She finished just four-hundredths of a second ahead of Germany’s Emma Aicher, a margin so slim it underscored the razor-thin margins at the elite level of the sport.
The day was immediately overshadowed by concern for Vonn, who had been attempting a remarkable return to competition after undergoing a partial knee replacement in . She had successfully completed two practice runs on the challenging Cortina course, wearing a brace on her injured knee, and her coach, Aksel Lund Svindal, had indicated she was in “good enough” condition to contend for a medal. However, just 13 seconds into her run, Vonn clipped a gate and crashed violently, remaining on the ground for a prolonged period before being evacuated by helicopter.
“Lindsey Vonn sustained an injury, but is in stable condition and in good hands with a team of American and Italian physicians,” the US Ski and Snowboard Team announced via X, offering a brief update that did little to quell the anxiety surrounding the veteran skier’s condition.
The crowd’s initial enthusiastic cheer for Vonn quickly turned to silence as the crash unfolded. A renewed round of applause followed as the helicopter carried her off the mountain, a testament to the respect and admiration she has earned throughout her storied career.
Despite the gravity of the situation, Johnson was quick to acknowledge the emotional weight of the day and her teammate’s influence. “The work that we put in, the careers, my heart aches for her,” Johnson said. “It’s a tough road, and it’s a tough sport. That’s the beauty and the madness of it, that it can hurt you so badly, but you keep coming back for more.” She added that Vonn was cheering for her from the helicopter, a poignant detail that highlighted the close bond within the US team.
Johnson’s victory is particularly resonant given her own recent struggles. She suffered a knee injury in a training run just weeks before the Winter Olympics in Beijing, forcing her to miss those Games. The very course where Vonn crashed on Sunday was also the site of that previous heartbreak for Johnson, making her gold medal a full-circle moment of resilience and determination.
“I think part of what hurt the most in 2022 was that I did love this course,” Johnson explained. “Sometimes the things you love can hurt you the most. Just because it’s beautiful doesn’t mean that it can also hurt. It means that you have to go and make that possible. And so taking ownership of that is what I’ve been trying to do for the last four years. Today it paid off.”
Johnson’s triumph also builds on her success from , where she secured double gold at the World Championships in Salbaach, Austria, in the downhill and team combined events alongside Mikaela Shiffrin.
The American team’s support for Vonn was palpable. Jacqueline Wiles, who finished fourth, expressed the deep connection among the skiers. “Watching Lindsey go down from the start was pretty awful,” Wiles said. “We have such a sisterhood. We travel with each other on the road. We’re a family. To watch someone that you care about so much, it sucks. My heart broke for her in that moment, but that is the inherent risk of the sport.”
Isabella Wright, another member of the US team, echoed those sentiments, emphasizing Vonn’s strength and resilience. “You don’t want that for anyone and you especially don’t want it for Lindsey,” Wright said. “I always say this, ‘if anyone can do it, it’s Lindsey’. Whatever This proves, or whatever the situation, she’s very strong. We’re going to support her the best You can.”
Vonn’s initial retirement in due to injury had seemed to signal the end of an era, but her determination to compete at another Olympics, even after a significant knee reconstruction, underscored her legendary competitive spirit. While her final run in Cortina ended in disappointment, her impact on the sport and her enduring legacy remain firmly intact. Johnson’s gold medal, while a moment of personal triumph, was also imbued with a sense of honoring Vonn’s contributions and carrying forward the tradition of American excellence in downhill skiing.
