American skier Lindsey Vonn nearly lost her left leg following a high-speed crash during the women's downhill at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Cortina d'Ampezzo. The 41-year-old underwent emergency surgery to treat compartment syndrome and multiple fractures, crediting Dr. Tom Hackett with saving her limb. Despite the setback, Vonn remains optimistic about her recovery amid a challenging rehabilitation process.
Lindsey Vonn, who made a remarkable comeback to alpine skiing at age 41 after retiring in 2019, suffered severe injuries during the women's downhill race at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. Just 13 seconds into her run, she clipped a gate and tumbled at speeds approaching 70 miles per hour, resulting in a complex tibia fracture, fractures to her fibular head and tibial plateau, and compartment syndrome in her left leg. She also broke her right ankle in the incident.
Prior to the Olympics, Vonn had torn her ACL in a World Cup crash on January 30, 2026, in Switzerland, but she competed in Italy with a specialized knee brace. Video footage indicates the fall was caused by her right arm hooking the gate, not knee instability. Airlifted from the slope, Vonn required a blood transfusion due to significant blood loss and underwent urgent fasciotomy surgery performed by orthopedic surgeon Dr. Tom Hackett. "Dr. Tom Hackett saved my leg. He saved my leg from being amputated," Vonn said in an Instagram video update. The procedure involved cutting open both sides of her leg to relieve pressure and restore blood flow, preventing tissue death and potential amputation.
Treatment included an external fixator for stabilization, followed by a six-hour reconstructive surgery with plates and screws. Vonn spent nearly two weeks in a Milan hospital before returning to the United States. She is currently wheelchair-bound, with plans to transition to crutches in the coming weeks or months. Doctors estimate one year for bone healing, after which she will address her ACL repair. Vonn described the injury as "by far the most extreme, painful and challenging I’ve faced in my life, times 100," and shared mental struggles, noting a recent "hard day" in recovery.
Support has come from figures like Cristiano Ronaldo and Zlatan Ibrahimović. Despite the crash ending her Olympic participation, Vonn leads the FIS World Cup downhill standings with 400 points from pre-Olympic races, where she achieved multiple podium finishes. Medical experts highlight the injury's severity, comparable to a car crash, but note her fitness and access to top care could aid recovery, though long-term challenges like reduced mobility and chronic pain are possible.
