Teen skiing star Daisy Thomas loses battle with ACL injury, withdraws from Milano Cortina 2026 after two training mishaps

LIVIGNO: Australian teen star Daisy Thomas has made the devastating decision to withdraw from Milano Cortina 2026, after losing her battle with injury.

Thomas, 18, arrived in Italy with a question mark hanging over her after she tore her ACL in what she described as "a freak accident" in November while competing in the big air at a World Cup event in Beijing.

Having sought medical advice and after intensive treatment, Thomas decided against withdrawing from her first Olympic Games, and arrived in Livigno convinced she could compete for a medal despite the injury.

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Those hopes are now over after two training incidents in which she aggravated her injured knee and then hurt her shoulder. Thomas had already withdrawn from the slopestyle competition - won by Swiss superstar Mathilde Gremaud in an absorbing battle with China's Eileen Gu, who had to settle for silver - but has now also withdrawn from big air, confirmed by the Australian team in a statement on Saturday (AEDT).

"After successful management of swelling and return to snow testing, I was confident in myself and my knee that I could still be a fighting contender for the podium in Big Air," Thomas said in a statement.

"After the first night training another instability episode ensued after several attempts on the Big Air jump.

"This is a high risk sport and having to contend with knee instability adds another layer of difficulty. It would be a disservice to myself, my sport and my country to try and drop in which would likely result in further injury.

"I'm disappointed that I can't compete at my very best at the Olympic Games.

"Throughout the past eight weeks I have approached my rehab and return to performance with a level of professionalism that I thought could yield a medal winning performance."

Thomas' withdrawal follows the horrifying crash that wiped out Lindsey Vonn's medal quest at Milano Cortina 2026, with the legendary American downhill skier also carrying a ruptured ACL.

Watch the Winter Olympic Games Milano Cortina 2026 live and free on Channel 9 and 9Now. Plus, every event live & on demand, every medal in 4K, and exclusive international coverage on Stan Sport.

Vonn had to be airlifted off the course by a helicopter and rushed to hospital. She has since had surgery but confirmed on Instagram that she would require multiple surgeries to fully repair her injured leg.

Thomas also had to be stretchered off the slopes after the training crash in Livigno that aggravated her knee. That mishap occurred due to a miscued landing off the final jump of the slopestyle course, as Thomas was completing her final run before the training session was scheduled to finish.