American Johnson, already the reigning downhill world champion, clocked 1min 36.10sec in an early run to claim her first Olympic medal on a bittersweet day for the US team in Cortina d'Ampezzo.

Johnson had never claimed a podium spot in Cortina before Sunday but outshone the rest of the field from sixth on the starting list, pipping Germany's rising star Emma Aicher by just 0.04sec.

Home hope Sofia Goggia had to settle for bronze after finishing 0.59sec behind Johnson following a long wait for her run due to Vonn's dreadful crash.

Johnson is in the odd position of having never won a World Cup race but is now world and Olympic champion in her preferred discipline.

It was a huge triumph for Johnson who was forced to miss the last Winter Olympics in Beijing with a knee injury, and was hit with a 14-month suspension in May 2024 for failing to comply with anti-doping whereabouts obligations.

Johnson was sat in the leader's chair when Vonn smashed face first into the snow seconds into her brave bid for a fourth Olympic medal, after rupturing the anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee just over a week ago.

Vonn's Olympic dream now lies in tatters after her effort to achieve the seemingly impossible, an attempt which ended with her being taken away in a helicopter as fans in the stands saluted her with loud applause.