Lindsey Vonn says she has 'long way to go' in recovery after Winter Olympics crash and soon requires more surgeries
Updated 13/02/2026 at 18:16 GMT
React to this story
USA ski great Lindsey Vonn saw her Olympic comeback end in heartbreak when she crashed in the women's downhill. Vonn, 41, had to be airlifted to hospital and has undergone three surgeries on a complex leg fracture. She has posted an update on social media to say she has had "quite a hard few days in the hospital" and will need further surgeries soon. Vonn was competing at her fifth Olympics.
'Could you imagine the regret?' - Panel pore over Vonn's decision to compete
Video credit: TNT Sports
Lindsey Vonn says she has a "long way to go" in her recovery from the complex leg break sustained in a crash during the women's downhill event at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics and soon requires two more surgeries.
The Team USA ski great said earlier this week that she had undergone a "successful" third surgery following her crash in the downhill.
On Friday she posted a new update from her hospital bed to say she hopes to be heading home soon.
"It’s been quite a hard few days in the hospital, finally feeling more like myself but having a long way to go," she said on Instagram in an emotional video.
"Tomorrow I have another surgery and hopefully that goes well and then I can potentially leave and go back home, at which point I will need another surgery.
"Still don’t know what that entails yet until I get some better imaging but that’s where I am right now."
Vonn was making an Olympic comeback nine days after rupturing her left ACL in a crash at a World Cup event, though she insisted that that injury had no correlation with the premature end of her Games.
Speaking from her hospital bed on Friday, wires and monitors humming in the background, the 41-year-old expressed gratitude after the latest operation to repair the complex tibia fracture in her left leg.
She thanked fans for "sending me flowers and letters and sharks," lifting a large stuffed shark she had propped beneath her as a pillow.
The gesture underscored the outpouring of support she said has sustained her through "a hard few days in the hospital."
/origin-imgresizer.tntsports.io/2026/02/08/image-8b08c15e-fbd8-4a7b-8d3d-61e5199dae15-85-2560-1440.jpeg)
Watch: Vonn suffers big crash to end downhill hopes
Video credit: TNT Sports
Vonn says she remains immobile at Ca Foncello Hospital, where she was airlifted after her fall in the mountains of Cortina d'Ampezzo.
Despite the physical toll, she emphasised the emotional lift provided by loved ones and medical staff alike.
"I have a lot of friends and family that have been coming to visit," she added. "The letters and the notes and everything have just been so incredible. And the staff and the team here has just been amazing."
She added that she feels "very lucky and fortunate" to be surrounded by such support.
/origin-imgresizer.tntsports.io/2026/02/08/image-8dfc88a4-72dd-4b20-9938-3c6f44761eac-85-2560-1440.jpeg)
Watch: Vonn airlifted away in helicopter after big downhill crash
Video credit: TNT Sports
Ever the competitor, Vonn also turned her attention to her teammates competing at the Games, offering an enthusiastic "Go Team USA."
Watching her compatriots compete has buoyed her spirits and she called on her fellow Americans to "keep crushing it".
Earlier in the week, in another post on Instagram, Vonn revealed she had already undergone three surgeries since the crash.
"Success today has a completely different meaning than it did a few days ago," she wrote on Wednesday.
Watch every event of Milano Cortina 2026 live on discovery+. Available across all subscription plans, starting at £3.99.
Related Topics
Advertisement
Advertisement