Lindsey Vonn, skiing's iron lady whose Olympic dream ended in tears

by Terence DALEY / with Luke PHILLIPS in Bormio

Lindsey Vonn's brave gamble for Olympic glory might have ended in horror for the US star, but she remains an icon of alpine skiing after a storied career filled with memorable highs and crushing setbacks.

What was supposed to be Vonn's greatest comeback finished with her being stretchered into a helicopter with a broken left leg after an awful crash in Sunday's downhill which dashed her medal hopes at the Milan-Cortina Olympics.

Vonn was left screaming in agony after planting her face in the snow and hurtling like a rag doll down the Olimpia delle Tofane piste in Cortina d'Ampezzo, her skis still attached to her boots.

With the anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee already blown out before the Games and her other knee containing a titanium implant, surgery on the fracture in her left leg means Vonn's Olympic journey is over at 41 years of age.

Should Sunday's crash be the final chapter in her career, Vonn will retire for the second time as one of the major sporting figures of this century alongside the likes of her former boyfriend Tiger Woods.

Blessed with natural charm and charisma in a sport filled with strong characters, she has been on the cover of Time magazine and Sports Illustrated, bringing attention that made her instantly visible to a wider audience than winter sports enthusiasts.

That visibility, allied with charity work and a savvy social media presence, combined seamlessly with an enviable sporting prowess to bring her three Olympic medals -- including one gold -- eight world championship medals (two gold) and four overall World Cup overall titles.

She retired after the 2019 world championships in Are but made what she dubbed a "crazy" comeback last winter, aided by a partial titanium knee replacement in April 2024 dramatically changed her outlook.

It allowed her not only to return, pain-free, to competitive skiing after a six-year hiatus, but also to roll back the years, exceeding expectations by challenging -- and sometimes besting -- the top racers on the circuit.

'Chasing dreams'

Had she not ruptured her ACL at the last World Cup downhill ahead of the Olympics, in Crans Montana at the end of January, Vonn would have been a serious contender for gold in Cortina.

Vonn had finished on the podium in every previous downhill race this season, including two victories in St. Moritz and Zauchensee, the former making her the oldest ever World Cup race winner.

Only current teammate Mikaela Shiffrin, with 108, and ex-Swedish slalom specialist Ingemar Stenmark (86) have more World Cup wins than Vonn, who has racked up 84.

In a sport where personalities do not always loom large, Vonn has well and truly transcended that divide, even endearing herself to a large fanbase in the central European skiing hotbeds of Austria and Switzerland with her fluency in German.

In October she appeared on Time's cover, under the title "The Comeback" -- a title which showed just how well she had been skiing in the lead-up to the Olympics.

"I'm still chasing dreams, still pushing limits, still believing in what's possible," she told the magazine.

"My hope is that anyone reading this remembers: never give up on yourself."

However, Vonn could potentially be forced to finally throw in the towel following the events of Sunday, which came on the piste where she has seen much success.

The first of her 12 victories in Cortina came in the downhill way back in January 2008. To give that some context, Sunday's silver medallist Emma Aicher was four years old at the time.

"I've been through a lot and this is another amazing chapter," said Vonn when she announced that she would compete at the Olympics, her fifth after debuting as a teenager in 2002.

"I don't know if it's the best chapter, but a pretty damn good comeback if I can pull it off."

Pull it off she didn't, but the US ski team said after Sunday's crash that Vonn was "a #WinterOlympics legend, always".

"Your legacy runs forever with Team USA."

Olympic chief Kirsty Coventry added: "You are an incredible inspiration, and will always be an Olympic champion."