Breezy Johnson wins gold as Lindsey Vonn crashes in Olympic downhill
Breezy Johnson won Team USA's first gold medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics in the alpine downhill event, while Lindsey Vonn's race ended in a crash shortly after leaving the start gate.
Lindsey Vonn's Olympic journey ended abruptly on the downhill course. Despite her goal of reaching the start gate just nine days after rupturing her left ACL, Vonn's race was cut short. Thirteenth on the start list, Vonn clipped a gate and crashed hard just 13 seconds into her run, leaving fans in shock.
"It was shocking how fast it happened and how early in the run," an American tourist said.
"You think it's 90 seconds. She's got it. She's done all this prep and then for it to fall apart in seconds was heartbreaking," another American tourist said.
Vonn was airlifted from the course, causing the competition to pause as her teammates watched. Breezy Johnson, who won gold, shared her thoughts on the incident.
"Her coach said she was cheering for me in the helicopter. I hope for the best for her and I hope it's not too bad. My heart aches for her. It's such a brutal sport sometimes," Johnson said.
Johnson's victory marked Team USA's first medal of the 2026 Winter Games.
"I hope we can keep this ball rolling. It's exciting and a bit surreal to be the first," Johnson said.
Fellow American Jackie Wiles finished fourth, while Bella Wright came in 21st.
