American ski racer Lindsey Vonn seeks strength from late coach after knee injury crash clouds Milan Cortina Olympics future

Lindsey Vonn is hurting, unsure, and waiting for medical answers just days before the Winter Games. On Friday, Jan. 30, she crashed during a World Cup downhill race in Crans-Montana and injured her left knee. The fall came in poor visibility, and the race was later stopped for safety. Vonn was taken by helicopter to a local hospital. Since then, she has not said if she will race at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics.As she waits, Vonn turned to someone who shaped her life in the sport. On Monday, Feb. 2, she visited the grave of her late coach, Erich Sailer, and shared the moment online. Her message was short, honest, and full of feeling. “I know exactly what he would say… Just wish he was here to say it,” Lindsey Vonn wrote on her Instagram Stories, posting a photo of Sailer’s gravesite. The timing says everything, the Olympics are close, her knee is hurt and her future for this month is still unknown. In that space between hope and doubt, Vonn chose to remember the person who always guided her.

Lindsey Vonn reflects on Erich Sailer as knee injury clouds Milan Cortina Olympic plans

Sailer was not just another coach in Vonn’s life. He was there from the very start. According to The Athletic, he coached Vonn’s father, Alan Kildow, and was even at the hospital on the day Vonn was born. When she was seven years old, Sailer began coaching her too. Their bond lasted decades. Sailer died in August 2025 at the age of 99.Vonn’s injury happened fast and hard. After losing control during the downhill run, she slammed into the safety nets and grabbed her left knee. Medical staff rushed to help her on the slope. Later that day, she explained the situation herself.“I crashed today in the Downhill race in Switzerland and injured my left knee,” Vonn wrote in a statement shared on Instagram. “I am discussing the situation with my doctors and team and will continue to undergo further exams.”She did not hide how heavy the moment feels. “This is a very difficult outcome one week before the Olympics… but if there’s one thing I know how to do, it’s a comeback. My Olympic dream is not over,” she wrote. “Thank you for all of the love and support. I will give more information when I have it. Thank you to all the medical staff who helped me today. I am grateful for all the incredible help I received.”The next day, Vonn skipped the Super-G race and cheered for her teammates instead. “Thank you for all of the love and support I have received,” she posted. “Means the world to me. Doing my best right now…. 🙏🏻🤞🏻.”At 41, Lindsey Vonn is trying to return to the Olympics after years away and many injuries. If she does race, she could become the oldest woman to compete in Olympic alpine skiing. For now, nothing is decided. What is clear is this: when things feel uncertain, Vonn goes back to her roots, to the coach who taught her how to believe.