The American was racing with a ruptured ACL but suffered a horrible crash on the top part of the course.

Skiier Lindsey Vonn was airlifted off the mountain following a shocking crash (Image: Getty)

An update has been given on the condition of Winter Olympics star Lindsey Vonn after a shocking crash in the women’s downhill alpine skiing final. The American crashed out of the event towards the top of the course and had to be airlifted to hospital.

Vonn was a major doubt for the games after rupturing the anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee in a separate crash just a matter of days before the start. But she made an astonishing comeback, and came through training runs in the days in the build-up to the final.

The 41-year-old was skiing without the anterior cruciate ligament and with a brace on her knee. She was the 13th skier in the event, but crashed early in the course, with the event delayed by around 20 minutes while she received treatment and could be heard screaming out in pain.

Giving an update at just before lunchtime on BBC, former British skier Chemmy Alcott, who was emotional at the crash, said: “I was just speaking to Enrica Cipriani who is part of the ‘Team Vonn’, actually one of the photos I think I sent you guys was one of her sitting on the chair lift with Lindsey this morning when we all thought this was going to end in a fairytale…

“She said the good news is that Lindsey Vonn’s doctor, who did her knee, was here on the hill and was able to get in that helicopter with her. They are currently in Cortina, the helicopter landed.

Lindsey Vonn suffered a hororr crash in the Winter Olympics (Image: Getty)

“But she won’t going to the local hospital, it can’t deliver on what she needs. Likely she’ll be going over to Innsbruck.

“But even Enrica didn’t have an update, very hard to be part of that team who have sacrificed everything. Her husband Chris Knight is Lindsey Vonn’s coach, so she’s just trying to keep it together, and deal with what can be handled.”

Not long after Vonn’s crash, Cande Moreno of Andorra also suffered the same fate. She received medical attention with the helicopter also used again to airlift her off the mountain.  The final ended with Vonn’s American teammate Breezy Johnson leading the rankings, with Germany’s Emma Aicher in second place and Italy’s Sofia Goggia in third.