Lindsey Vonn’s crash is violent but honest ending to an unprecedented Olympic bid

The gruesome finish to the US star's comeback, at age 41 and with a ruptured ACL, is a reminder of skiing's unforgiving nature

There was always a version of this story that ended in a single, violent instant. Lindsey Vonn was 13th to push out of the start gate on Sunday in Cortina d'Ampezzo knowing exactly what she was racing with: a fully ruptured ACL in her left knee, a heavy brace wrapped around the joint, and the accumulated wear of a career spent flirting with speed and consequence.

She barely made it out of the opening phase of the run.