Team USA legend Lindsey Vonn suffered a brutal crash just 13 seconds into her Olympic comeback in Italy, ending her 2026 Winter Olympics run with a complex leg fracture
Three-time Olympic medallist Lindsey Vonn’s highly anticipated return to the Games in Italy ended abruptly after just 13 seconds when an unfortunate injury devastated her fans, including 17-time Grammy-nominated rapper and “honorary coach” Snoop Dogg.
The Team USA legend was airlifted from the women’s downhill final in Cortina d’Ampezzo on Sunday following a brutal high-speed crash that brought her 2026 Olympic campaign to a premature close. Vonn had been set to compete in the Women’s Downhill, Team Combined, and Super-G events in Milan-Cortina.
Snoop Dogg ensured her journey wouldn’t conclude quietly. The Team USA ambassador delivered a heartfelt tribute to Vonn, rallying Americans, fellow athletes, and audiences across the globe.
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This followed USA snowboarder Chloe Kim seeing her hopes of a historic Olympic hat-trick dashed after a 17 year old South Korean sensation recovered from a first-round tumble to claim gold.
“First of all, to Lindsey, I just want to say she is an inspiration. For her to even lace up and to get into that Olympic atmosphere knowing she was already under injury shows a lot of spirit and motivation. She inspires a lot of us, and now we’re inspired by her,” he said, reports the Mirror US.
“She needs to know that we love her. The people around the whole world love her. I was there at the venue. When she took the fall, the whole stadium clapped. They stood up in love and were giving her appreciation as she flew away in the helicopter. She is a total inspiration.”
He went on with words of encouragement for aspiring athletes: trust in yourselves and block out the doubters, keeping sight of what matters beyond your sporting dreams.
“Stay focused and remember you’ve got family and friends way back at home in America or wherever you come from that love you and support you because you represent your country.”
Vonn’s accident occurred approximately 13.4 seconds into her descent when her right arm clipped the fourth gate, sending her tumbling down the slope. Medical examinations revealed a complex tibia fracture in her left leg.
The setback came just nine days after she tore her ACL in the same leg during a 30 January World Cup accident.
Despite the injury, Vonn still took part and recorded the third-quickest pre-Olympic training time, sparking hopes of an unprecedented third consecutive gold medal. She underwent three successful operations to stabilise and repair her leg, updating followers from her hospital bed on Wednesday.
Vonn confirmed she is “making progress” and has no second thoughts about her decision to compete in the games. Her American teammate, Breezy Johnson, claimed gold in the same downhill competition.
Snoop’s involvement at the Olympics has featured memorable moments, from his entertaining commentary during Tokyo 2020 to his role as a special correspondent at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
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