Becky Sullivan

It's the first Olympic medal for Johnson, who missed her chance in 2022 when she badly injured her knee just before the Games in Beijing.

Lindsey Vonn was already in the middle of an incredible career comeback when she tore her left ACL just over a week ago and decided to race in Sunday's race anyway.

but the 41-year-old American crashed badly just 13 seconds into her run when she clipped a gate and had to be airlifted off the course.

Becky Sullivan, NPR News, Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy.

It was just 13 seconds into her run as Vonn passed through the fourth gate of the race.

Her right arm and shoulder hooked the gate and sent her into a jump off balance, her body spinning to the right in midair.

Then she landed hard on the snow on her right side and tumbled down the slope.

The crash shocked the grandstand into silence as a medical team tended to her for about 15 minutes until a helicopter could arrive to fly her to medical care.

It wasn't clear that her knee was a factor in causing her to crash.

It's a devastating end to Vonn's comeback out of retirement that had dazzled the ski world.

Before she tore her ACL, she had been the season leader in the downhill and a favorite to win Olympic gold.

Becky Sullivan, NPR News, Cortina d'Apezzo, Italy.

This is NPR News in Washington.

Before her injury, Vaughn was seen as a favorite for a gold medal in the downhill, a stunning fact considering she retired more than six years ago before mounting a comeback to World Cup ski racing.

Her teammate Breezy Johnson is another serious medal contender in that race.

In figure skating, the first medals will be awarded when the team event wraps up with back-to-back-to-back free skate routines, first the pairs, then women, then men.

The U.S.

was in the lead over Japan after Saturday.

There are also medal events in the mixed relay biathlon and men's luge.

The American cross-country skier Gus Schumacher will make his debut at this Olympics in the men's skiathlon.