Numerous viewers of the Winter Olympics have taken to social media to express their disapproval of the event broadcasting audio from Lindsey Vonn’s severe ski crash on Sunday (February 8).
The Team USA athlete revealed last week that she had ruptured her ACL, alongside meniscal damage and a bruised bone, making her participation at the 2026 Games unexpected.
On Saturday, Vonn recorded the third-fastest time in the second downhill training session, leading many fans to speculate that she might be returning to peak form.
Unfortunately, the Olympian suffered a terrifying crash on Sunday morning when she clipped one of the flags on the demanding course while trying to secure a medal.
Footage showed Vonn tumbling down the slope before stopping, leaving the crowd at Milano Cortina 2026 in shocked silence.
During the live broadcast of the incident, Vonn’s cries were heard as medics rushed to assist her. The 41-year-old was subsequently airlifted to a hospital, and her current condition is uncertain.
Heartbreak for Lindsey Vonn… she had a horrible crash early in her run in the women's downhill 💔#MilanoCortina2026 pic.twitter.com/6IM8Ts2BTq
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) February 8, 2026
https://twitter.com/TeamUSAOLYCov/status/2017170044887978437
After the crash, numerous fans took to social media to question why the Olympics continued to air footage of Vonn while she was receiving medical treatment.
One individual wrote on X: “Those cries from Lindsey Vonn are heartbreaking. She’s obviously in a lot of pain. The cameramen need to be told to keep the camera off of her, and mute the mics so they don’t pick up her anguished cries. Have some respect for not just a legendary athlete, but a human being.”
Another described the footage and audio as ‘stomach churning’, adding: “The cries of pain from Lindsey Vonn will be hard to remove from my mind.”
A third commented: “Watching Lindsey Vonn fall and hearing her scream in panic is terrible,” while a fourth noted: “I appreciate the footage they’re continuing to show from the downhill Skiing, but I’m not sure we should have heard the mics of Lindsey Vonn’s screams for so long after the crash.”
Another summed up: “Sick to my stomach seeing Lindsay screaming in agony. This looked so bad.”
Following the incident, the US ski team announced that Vonn ‘fell in the Olympic downhill and will be evaluated by medical staff.’ This statement is the only official comment regarding the athlete at this time.
Before competing in the 2026 Winter Olympics, Vonn shared details about her ACL injury on Instagram, stating: “My ACL was fully functioning until last Friday. Just because it seems impossible to you doesn’t mean it’s not possible. And yes, my ACL is 100% ruptured. Not 80% or 50%. It’s 100% gone.”
Efforts to reach the Olympics for comment have been made.