Emotional Lindsey Vonn moved to tears as she loses title after horror Winter Olympics crash

Lindsey Vonn was moved to tears as she revealed she was about to lose a coveted title.

The US skier had a Winter Olympics to forget in February, when she crashed just 13 seconds into her downhill run.

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She was airlifted to hospital, in what was likely her final Games.

The nasty crash, which left Vonn with a broken leg, came just one week after she suffered a ruptured ACL in a separate accident in the build up to Milano Cortina.

Quite remarkably, the 41-year-old has already returned to the gym, and said she is taking it ‘one day at a time’ as she recovers from a series of corrective surgeries following a complex tibia fracture.

Vonn’s heart can’t be questioned, but the three-time Olympic medalist revealed that when she does take to the slopes once again, she will do so without a precious title.

The American has lost her position as the world No. 1 downhill skier.

Lindsey Vonn shares emotional message as she loses ski title

She made the revelation on social media, sharing an emotional post with her 3.6 million followers, thanking fans for their support during her ‘adventure.’

“Well… I’ve had the red leader bib from the first race of the season until now, but in all likelihood tomorrow will be my last day as No. 1,” Vonn wrote, sharing a range of photos and videos from various competitions.

“At the beginning of the season no one would have ever believed I would be even close to this position. And I bet people would have laughed if it was even suggested. But winning the title was my goal… and I came painfully close to achieving it.

“I’m not one to talk about things I’ve achieved but in this instance I feel I need to, maybe more to remind myself than anything else…

“I was on the podium of every single downhill race, including two wins. I clawed my way back to No. 1 in the world after being retired for six years with a partial knee replacement and that alone was an incredible achievement I won’t ever forget.

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“Even though in a few days no one will remember that I almost won the season title, I will remember. I didn’t want to win the title to prove anything to anyone. I did it because I knew I could. I just wish I had a chance to fight until the end to try and get it…

“However, as I sit here I have to reflect and wonder; why does a title mean so much to me? Why am I crying over a crystal trophy?

“It’s because skiing has always been the thing I love to do most in this world. It has always brought me incredible joy, especially this season. But what I am realizing is that not having one more title doesn’t make this season less extraordinary.

“It doesn’t take away the joy I had standing in the starting gate or crossing the finish line and seeing No. 1 next to my name. It doesn’t take away from the incredible time I had with my team and teammates.

“Singing and dancing with fans and kids in the stadium. Those memories aren’t washed away because of a title. My tears just mean I care. I always have. That’s why I work so hard.

“Skiing is my passion. Whether I’ll ever be able to do it again is yet to be seen. But at least I have the memories, with or without a title, I feel privileged to have had this adventure.

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“Wherever this path leads I will find my way. I always do. Skiing is what I love to do but it’s not who I am. There are so many reasons to be happy. So much to be thankful for. Thank you all for coming on this journey with me.”

The comments under Vonn’s Instagram post were flooded with support from friends and fans, who suggested the US star should be proud of everything she has achieved.

Who is the world’s top-ranked downhill skier?

Vonn lost her lead in the World Cup downhill standings on Saturday, when Laura Pirovano won by the smallest margin of 0.01 seconds on back-to-back days.

The 28-year-old Italian had never finished on the podium in 124 career World Cup races, until her win Friday, and is now the surprise standings leader thanks to a career-defining weekend in the Dolomites.

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While Vonn was the standout downhill racer through January, her season-ending crash at the Winter Olympics left her too few points in hand to hold her place at the top of the rankings.

Emma Aicher is now in second place, with one race of the season left, on March 21 in Norway.

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