Lindsey Vonn’s crash at the Alpine Worlds on Tuesday was certainly the most severe injury of her career, as she tore two ligaments in her right knee during the super-G. But it’s not the first time the American has been injured on the slopes, particularly at important events.
Here’s a brief history of Vonn’s injuries:
2006 Olympics
Vonn crashed in a downhill training run and was taken off the mountain via helicopter. She suffered a bruised hip but competed two days later, finishing eighth in the event.
2007 World Championships
Vonn crashed in a slalom training run and suffered a sprained ACL, which ended her season. Before the crash, she earned silver medals in the downhill and super-G.
2009 World Championships
Vonn won the downhill title at the 2009 Worlds, and then while celebrating she cut her right thumb on a broken champagne bottle. The incident left her with a cut tendon, which required surgery. She ended the Worlds with gold medals in the downhill and super-G.
2009-10 World Cup
Vonn crashed during a World Cup giant slalom run in December – shortly before the 2010 Olympics - and bruised her arm. There was no fracture and she continued to ski.
2010 Olympics
A week before the Games started, Vonn bruised her shin during a training run. She called the pain “excruciating” when she tried to put on a ski boot. She skied through the pain to win gold in the downhill and bronze in the super-G.
During the giant slalom, Vonn crashed and broke her right pinkie. She later crashed out of the super-combined after falling during a slalom run.
2011 World Championships
Vonn crashed during a training run one week before the 2011 Worlds started and suffered a concussion. She raced anyway, finishing second in the downhill and seventh in the super-G.
2012-13 World Cup
Vonn suffered from an intestinal illness early in the season and missed two races. After returning briefly to the slopes, she decided to take an extended break over the holiday season before returning in early January.
2013 World Championships
In her first race on the opening day of the competition, Vonn crashed hard in her super-G run and was airlifted to the hospital. Doctors said she tore two ligaments in her right knee.
Here’s a video of today’s crash at the World Championships:
