Vonn was the Olympic downhill champion in 2010 and had been hoping for a fairytale ending to her illustrious career.
She retired from the sport in 2019 as the most decorated female skier at the time, having suffered several serious leg injuries.
After having a partial right knee replacement, she announced her shock return to the sport in 2024.
Since then, she had achieved eight podium finishes on the World Cup circuit, including two golds, and had been tipped to win a medal at her fifth and final Olympics.
But despite suffering a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in Switzerland in the last World Cup race before the Games, she was determined to take to the course in Cortina where she had enjoyed so much success.
Reflecting on…