Linday Vonn's Olympic dream crashes in a hard downhill fall
The U.S. star, who managed to compete despite a knee injury sustained last week, was forced to withdraw due to the aftermath of the impact.
A giant screen shows Vonn in the snow after her fall.
American alpine skiing star Lindsey Vonn, who was taking part in the Olympics despite suffering a serious knee injury last week, suffered a violent fall and abandoned Sunday in the women's downhill at Milan-Cortina.
The "Speed Queen," the 2010 Olympic downhill champion, fell at the start of her run in Cortina d'Ampezzo. She lay motionless in the snow before being attended to by the medical team, crying out in pain according to television images.
Wearing bib number 13 at age 41, Vonn had skied barely a dozen seconds downhill when she caught an edge on a gate and, already off-balance, fell upon landing a jump on a right-hand curve.
More than 10 minutes of tears and screams of pain in the snow before being evacuated
After more than 10 minutes in the snow, Vonn was taken by helicopter to a hospital, while the crowd gathered at the finish line sent her off with a standing ovation.
At 41 years and 113 days old, the American star was attempting an audacious feat: to become an Olympic downhill champion again, 16 years after her title in Vancouver, and following a spectacular comeback last winter after six years of retirement and a titanium prosthesis in her right knee.
A reckless gamble that didn't work out
The challenge had become even more scary after a new serious injury suffered on the descent of Crans Montana, in Switzerland, a week before the Games.
Despite suffering a complete rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament in her badly damaged left knee, she had confirmed her participation in her fifth Games. She had shown promise in official training, particularly on Saturday, finishing that session in third position.
The downhill event resumed after an interruption of more than 15 minutes.
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