"Not 13 seconds into her descent, under bright late-morning sunshine on the Olimpia delle Tofane, the 41yearold American appeared to clip her right pole on a gate. The contact was subtle, almost imperceptible at full speed, but catastrophic in effect. She lost her balance, lurched violently to the right, twisted awkwardly in the air and landed hard on her side before being pitched backward down the piste."
"On the television coverage, her screams could be heard over the course microphones as she slid to a stop along the side of the run. In the finish area, the noise dissipated from the crowd of thousands gathered at the Tofane Alpine Centre. Teammates watching the big screen in clusters froze. Breezy Johnson, the reigning world champion who had just set the fastest time 0.04 seconds clear of Germany's Emma Aicher covered her eyes and turned away."
Lindsey Vonn pushed out 13th in the Cortina d'Ampezzo downhill with a fully ruptured left anterior cruciate ligament and a heavy brace. Thirteen seconds into the run she clipped a right pole, lost balance, twisted in the air and landed hard before being pitched backward down the piste. Screams were audible on course microphones as she slid to a stop and the crowd fell silent. Teammates and her sister reacted in shock. Medical staff stabilized her, strapped her to a stretcher and called a helicopter, which airlifted her from the course.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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