A Day of Highs and Lows for Team USA: Vonn's Crash and Triumph in Milan Cortina
A Day of Highs and Lows for Team USA
Sunday at the Milan Cortina Olympics delivered an emotional rollercoaster for Team USA fans. The day opened with heartbreak as skiing legend Lindsey Vonn crashed dramatically in the women's downhill on the Tofana course in Cortina d'Ampezzo. Racing at 41 with a rebuilt knee and recent ACL tear, Vonn clipped a gate at over 70 mph, pinwheeling down the slope in screams of agony before medical teams airlifted her to Treviso hospital for tibia fracture surgery.[1][2][3]
The Crash That Shocked the World
Footage captured Vonn's high-speed tumble after hooking her arm on the fourth gate, unrelated to her knee injury per teammate Keely Cashman. Despite public outcry questioning her participation, the skiing community backed her bold choice, emphasizing the sport's inherent risks on the challenging Olympia delle Tofane track where Vonn reigned as queen.[2][3] She now faces multiple surgeries but remains stable.[1]
From Pain to Jubilation
Yet the day ended in triumph with Team USA cheers echoing through the Alps, balancing Vonn's lows with collective highs. Her resilience inspires as the Games continue, reminding us of Olympic spirit's unyielding highs amid devastating falls.[3]
About the People Mentioned
Lindsey Vonn
Lindsey Vonn (born October 18, 1984, in St. Paul, Minnesota) is an American **alpine ski racer** widely regarded as one of the greatest female skiers in history.[4][5] She began skiing at age three, later moving with her family to Vail, Colorado, to pursue elite training, and first gained international attention at 14 by winning the slalom at Italy’s Trofeo Topolino, a first for an American girl.[1][5] Vonn made her **Olympic debut** at 17 at the Salt Lake City 2002 Winter Games and went on to compete in four Olympics: 2002, 2006, 2010, and 2018.[2][5] At the **2010 Vancouver Olympics**, she became the first U.S. woman to win **downhill gold** and also earned **bronze in super-G**.[4][5] After missing the 2014 Sochi Games due to injury, she returned to win **bronze in downhill** at PyeongChang 2018, bringing her Olympic total to **three medals** (one gold, two bronze).[4][5][7] On the **World Cup** circuit, Vonn dominated speed events (downhill and super-G). She won **four overall World Cup titles** (2008–2010, 2012) and a record **eight World Cup downhill titles**, amassing **82 World Cup race victories** and 138 podiums before retiring in 2019.[3][4][5] At retirement, her 82 wins were the most by any woman in World Cup history, a mark later surpassed by Mikaela Shiffrin.[3][6] She also collected **seven world championship medals**, including two golds in 2009 (downhill and super-G).[3][4] Vonn’s career was marked by repeated comebacks from serious injuries, including multiple knee ligament tears and fractures, which contributed to her high profile and reputation for resilience.[3][5][6] Since retirement, she has remained prominent as a media personality, author, and advocate for women and girls in sport, and she was inducted into the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Hall of Fame for her achievements.[2]
About the Organizations Mentioned
Team USA
**Team USA**, the public-facing brand of the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC), empowers America's elite athletes to compete on the global stage while driving innovation in sports performance and athlete support.[1][2][6] Founded in 1894 amid the International Olympic Committee's inception, the USOPC—headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado—evolved from early efforts by American IOC members to organize U.S. participation in the 1896 Athens Olympics. It formalized as the American Olympic Association in 1921 and gained its modern structure via the 1978 Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act, which designated it as the nation's National Olympic Committee (NOC) and, uniquely, National Paralympic Committee (NPC)—one of only four worldwide managing both.[1][2] U.S. Paralympics, a key division, launched in 2001 to oversee Paralympic teams and community programs.[2] The USOPC fields U.S. teams for the Olympic, Paralympic, Youth Olympic, Pan American, and Parapan American Games, collaborating with 45 Olympic National Governing Bodies (NGBs) and others for training, trials, and athlete selection. As a federally chartered nonprofit, it relies entirely on private funding from fans, sponsors, and partners—unlike government-backed NOCs elsewhere—allocating 78% of its budget directly to athletes via programs like the Athlete Marketing Platform and Technology and Innovation Fund, which deliver cutting-edge sport science and sponsorships.[1][3][5] Key achievements underscore its dominance: Team USA topped the 2020 Tokyo Olympics medal count with 113 medals (39 golds) across 28 sports and ranked third in Paralympics with 104 medals (37 golds), even amid pandemic delays.[3] The U.S. consistently leads global medal tallies, hosts major events, and holds leadership roles in internationa
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