CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy — Racing valiantly despite a serious injury to her left knee, Lindsey Vonn crashed early in the Olympic downhill event on Sunday. The 41-year-old American skiing legend was airlifted from the course after receiving extensive medical attention on the snow.

Vonn lost her balance shortly after the start, misjudging a turn on the opening traverse. The mishap sent her spinning through the air, prompting distressing screams that echoed across the slopes. Swiftly surrounded by a team of medics, she was secured onto a gurney and evacuated by helicopter, casting doubt on the future of her illustrious skiing career. The U.S. Ski Team has yet to provide details on her condition, noting only that she will undergo further evaluation.

The competition was paused as medical staff attended to Vonn. Her teammate, Breezy Johnson, had been leading the pack at the time.

Among the spectators were Vonn’s family members, including her father, Alan Kildow, who watched anxiously during her treatment, which came just 13 seconds into the race. The crowd, including notable figures like rapper Snoop Dogg, looked on in silence as the celebrated skier was carried away from a course where she has famously secured 12 World Cup victories.

Vonn had captured attention as an inspiring figure leading up to the Olympics. After making a remarkable return to competitive skiing last season despite her age and a partial titanium knee replacement, she aimed to add another gold medal to her 2010 Vancouver Games triumph. Her determination was evident as she quickly became a top contender, even heading the World Cup downhill standings.

However, Vonn’s journey was marred by a fall in Switzerland nine days prior, which aggravated her knee injury. This latest setback included a ruptured ACL, a bone bruise, and meniscus damage, raising concerns about her chances for Olympic glory.

Still, no one counted her out even then. In truth, she has skied through injuries for three decades at the top of the sport. In 2006, ahead of the Turin Olympics, Vonn took a bad fall during downhill training and went to the hospital. She competed less than 48 hours later, racing in all four events she’d planned, with a top result of seventh in the super-G.

“It’s definitely weird,” she said then, “going from the hospital bed to the start gate.”

Cortina has always had many treasured memories for Vonn beyond the record wins. She is called the queen of Cortina, and the Olympia delle Tofana is a course that had always suited Vonn. She tested out the knee twice in downill training runs over the past three days before the awful crash on Sunday in clear, sunny conditions.

“This would be the best comeback I’ve done so far,” Vonn said before the race. “Definitely the most dramatic.”