Olympic skiing figures defend Lindsey Vonn for competing on torn ACL

The consensus from the Olympic skiing community is clear: Don't blame Lindsey Vonn for pushing the limits in the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Games and competing in the women's downhill on a torn ACL. And don't think that her devastating crash in Sunday's final was a result of that preexisting injury.

Vonn, 41, saw her Olympic comeback end in brutal fashion when she broke her left leg in a vicious crash mere seconds into her run. She was airlifted to a hospital and underwent surgery to stabilize the fracture. Leaders of international skiing bodies and some of Vonn's fellow competitors set the record straight that Sunday's crash was entirely unrelated to her torn ACL.

"Totally incorrect," Vonn's teammate Keely Cashman said, via the Associated Press. "People that don't know ski racing don't really understand what happened yesterday. She hooked her arm on the gate, which twisted her around. She was going probably 70 miles an hour, and so that twists your body around. That has nothing to do with her ACL, nothing to with her knee. I think a lot of people are ridiculing that, and a lot people don't [know] what's going on."

International Ski and Snowboard Federation president Johan Eliasch called Vonn "incredibly unlucky" and said the incident was a "one in 1,000" situation.

The downhill is alpine skiing's fastest and most dangerous event. A myriad of things could go wrong on any given run, often with dramatic consequences. A fully intact ACL would have done nothing to prevent Vonn from tumbling down the mountain after clipping the gate on that fateful jump.

Vonn's dramatic exit from the downhill final precipitated a wave of hindsight-aided reactions from fans and pundits. The American skiing legend should have played it safe and backed out of the competition the moment she tore her ACL, some argued. But those most experienced in the sport emphasized that Vonn was able to train at a high caliber despite the injury, and they noted that she consulted with qualified trainers and coaches before making the decision to race.

"This decision was really hers and her team to take," International Olympic Committee sports director Pierre Ducrey said. "She made the decision and unfortunately it led to the injury, but I think it's really the way that the decision gets made for every athlete that participates to the downhill."

That Vonn elected to compete in such a dangerous and demanding event at less than full strength may have led some to question her sanity, others commended the three-time Olympic medalist for her courage and commitment to the sport. The latter argument only solidifies her legacy as an all-time great.