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Lindsey Vonn’s father said Monday he hopes the horrific crash that landed the Olympic legend in hospital at the 2026 Cortina Games in Milan will mark “the end of her career”.
Alan Kildow told The Associated Press that he wasn’t sure if he actually has a say in the case. Vonn broke her leg during the final race of the women’s alpine skiing downhill. She crashed in the first sector and had to be lifted from the mountain.
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Lindsey Vonn of the United States poses with her career medals with her father Alan Kildow, in the finish area after the women’s downhill race, at the World Alpine Skiing Championships in Are, Sweden, Sunday, Feb. 10, 2019. (AP Photo/Marco Trovati, file)
“She is 41 years old and this is the end of her career,” he told The Associated Press. “There will be no more skiing for Lindsey Vonn as long as I have a say in it.”
Kildow did not reveal any details about the injuries, but mentioned her emotional state.
“She’s a very strong individual,” Kildow said. “She knows physical pain and she understands the circumstances she’s in. And she’s able to handle it. Better than I expected. She’s a very, very strong person. So I think she’s handling it really well.”
Vonn’s family was on hand to watch her attempt a miracle — win an Olympic medal in one of the fastest sports the Games have to offer, all while dealing with a torn ACL.
USA’s Lindsey Vonn’s father Alan Kildow is interviewed ahead of a women’s downhill skiing event at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Andrew Dampf)
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But the hopeful nature of the day quickly turned to somber feelings.
“First of all, the shock and horror of it all, to see a crash like that,” Kildow said of what he felt as he watched the scene unfold. “It can be dramatic and traumatic. You’re just horrified at what that kind of impact has.
“You can go into a shock and an emotional psychological shock,” he added. “Because it’s hard to just accept what’s happened. But she’s been well taken care of… And the USOC and the U.S. Ski Team have a very, very first-class doctor with them, and she’s being taken care of very well here in Italy.”
Kildow blamed the crash more on Vonn’s attempt to push herself to the edge than on the ACL.
Vonn is recovering in a hospital in Treviso. She holds the record 12 World Cup wins in Cortina, Italy, and didn’t seem to miss a beat when she returned to the circuit last year after a six-year absence.
Lindsey Vonn of the United States is lifted away after a crash during a women’s downhill skiing event at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
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The next stop for Vonn will be at home, according to Kildow. She won’t be back at any Olympic events to cheer on her teammates.
