Winter Olympics icon airlifted to hospital just days before games | Other | Sport

American downhill skiing star Lindsey Vonn is a doubt for the upcoming Winter Olympic Games after requiring hospital treatment following a crash in the last World Cup event before the games. The 41-year-old suffered the crash in Crans-Montana, Switzerland. 

Vonn was one of the favourites to take a medal in the Olympics, which start on Friday in Milano Cortina in Italy. In the build-up to the games, she lost control after landing a jump and slid into the barriers at the edge of the course.

After being attended to by medical staff, she was able to get up and cautiously make her way to the finish line. However, after medical examinations, it was decided that she would be airlifted to hospital via a helicopter due to an injury to her left knee.

Chief executive of the International Ski and Snowboard Federation Urs Lehmann gave the latest update on her condition and her potential availability for the Olympics. “I know she hurt her knee, I talked to her,” he told reporters.

“I don’t know if it’s really heavy and (if) she won’t miss the Olympics. Let’s wait for what the doctors are saying.”

The event in Switzerland was eventually abandoned due to persistent and heavy snowfall that had impacted the event and conditions throughout the day. One competitor claimed that it was difficult for the athletes to see where they were going.

Vonn had been away from the sport for six years before her comeback last season. This season has seen her establish herself as one for the favourites to take the gold from the Olympics, should she be fit enough to compete.

She competes in both the downhill and Super-G disciplines and has finished in the top three in seven of her eight World Cup appearances this season. The other tournament seen her finish in fourth.

If she is deemed to be fit then Vonn will be back in action a week on Sunday (8th February) when the Gold medal even for the Women’s downhill alpine skiing takes place. The Women’s Super-G event then takes place on Thursday, 12 February.