Vonn, 41, was the first American woman to win a gold medal in downhill at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. The four-time world champion retired nine years later but returned to the sport just over a year ago with a partially replaced right knee and completed two training runs before the race.
The crash took place early in her run after being the 13th skier to go down the Olimpia delle Tofane course in Cortina. Five-time Olympic skier Graham Bell was commentating on BBC Two at the time.
He said: “Oh no, she’s gone; she has crashed. She did everything she could; she has gone on the top of the course, and the crowd are stunned. She took all of the risks to get here; she proved in the training run that she could get to the starting gate.”
Four-time Winter Olympic alpine ski racer Chemmy Alcott was in tears when talking about the incident. She said: “I actually feel guilty that I am this emotional. When we thought about the end of this story, we never thought and never believed that it would end with her in a clump at the side of the piece, not moving.
“What we saw is that the top section is running very fast. The left-footer is really hard for healthy athletes. She is trying to throw herself down this, gunning for the podium. She doesn’t have a left knee; she drops her hip back, and this is an absolute nightmare; it is an absolute nightmare.”
Medics attended to her for several minutes before the airlifting of Vonn off the piste. The crowd applauded as a helicopter carried the American away to Cortina.
Bell also added: “I had Vonn down for a medal. I would have done the exact same thing in Vonn’s position; I would have raced. It can be done; she was doing it; she was fast in training; she took the risk, and it didn’t pay off. Let’s hope Vonn is OK.”
Cande Moreno of Andorra also crashed on the fastest and steepest part of the course and held her knees before receiving medical attention. Her fall led to another course hold and required an airlift, which further prolonged the final.
Breezy Johnson of America was in the gold medal position at the time of that latest crash. Her time was just 0.04 seconds quicker than Emma Aicher, with Italy’s Sofia Goggia, who is a friend of Vonn, in line for bronze.