American skier Lindsey Vonn has had additional surgery on her broken left leg following a severe crash during the women's downhill at the 2026 Winter Olympics. The 41-year-old remains hospitalized in the United States as she recovers from the incident in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. Vonn shared updates on social media, describing herself as 'bionic for real now.'
Lindsey Vonn, a three-time Olympic medalist, suffered a complex tibia fracture in her left leg during the women's downhill race on February 8, 2026, at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. The crash occurred about 13 seconds into her run when she got hooked on a gate, leading to a spinning, airborne fall down the mountain. Her skis failed to release, prompting safety concerns in the skiing community.
Vonn had torn her ACL during a practice run on January 30, 2026, yet decided to compete despite the injury and a partial titanium replacement in her right knee from 2024. In a press conference on February 3, she stated, "I'm not letting this slip through my fingers. I'm gonna do it, end of story." During training on February 6, she posted a time of 1:40.33, finishing 11th out of 43.
After the crash, Vonn received initial treatment in Italy, undergoing at least three surgeries. She was airlifted about 18 minutes after the incident and remained prone for around 13 minutes. Vonn flew back to the United States the following weekend. On February 13, she mentioned in an Instagram video that another surgery was scheduled the next day, with plans for further procedures upon return home.
Her latest surgery, lasting over six hours, took place on Friday and involved numerous plates and screws, performed by Dr. Hackett with assistance from Dr. Viola. In an Instagram post, Vonn wrote, "Made it through surgery… As you can see, it required a lot of plates and screws to put back together." She added on X, alongside an X-ray, "I’m bionic for real now." On February 16, she noted on X that she had not stood for over a week but felt relief being back home. Vonn has struggled post-operation and has not yet been discharged, emphasizing, "Baby steps."
Vonn's career includes gold in downhill and bronze in super-G at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, bronze in downhill at 2018 Pyeongchang, four overall World Cup titles, eight world championship medals, and 84 World Cup wins—surpassed by Mikaela Shiffrin's 108.
