Vonn was the 13th skier to go in the women’s downhill and the treatment she needed after the crash led to a significant delay to the competition.
She had appeared relaxed in the training runs and in the morning before the race with her coach Aksel Lund Svindal saying on Friday that he felt confident Vonn could pull off something spectacular.
No stranger to a comeback, Vonn retired from the sport in 2019 as the most decorated female skier at the time but had suffered several serious leg injuries.
She made a shock return to the sport in 2024 having had a partial knee replacement in her right knee.
Vonn was tipped for the podium in Cortina following a successful 2025-26 season, in which she reached the podium in all five races, winning two.
But this latest crash leaves a significant doubt over whether Vonn will ski competitively again.