Lindsey Vonn hopes to return home after another surgery following her Olympic downhill crash
CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy (AP) — Lindsey Vonn will undergo another surgery on her broken left leg Saturday at an Italian hospital that will treat her “and then I can potentially leave and go home.”
Vonn posted a video message on Instagram on Friday after her horrific crash in the Olympic downhill race at the Cortina Games in Milan.
Announcement
“Hey guys, I just wanted to give you a little update and say thank you so much to everyone who sent me flowers and letters,” Vonn said, adding that she also received stuffed animals, including a shark pillow that she rested her head on in the video. “It was just amazing and really helped me a lot.
“It’s been a pretty rough few days here in the hospital. I’m finally feeling more like myself. I’ve got a long, long way to go. I’m having another surgery tomorrow and I’m hoping it goes well and then I can potentially leave and go home, at which point I’ll need another surgery. I still don’t know exactly what that’s going to involve until I get some better pictures, but that’s pretty much where I’m at right now.”
Vonn is being treated at a hospital in Treviso.
“And yes, I have a bruise under my eye,” Vonn added in a written message in her post. “Almost gone though!”
Announcement
The 41-year-old Vonn crashed 13 seconds into the race during Sunday’s race and was airlifted off the course by helicopter. The American ski champion said on Monday that she had suffered a “complex fracture of the tibia that is currently stable but will require multiple surgeries to repair properly.”
On Wednesday he said he had a third “successful” surgery.
Nine days before Sunday’s crash, Vonn tore the ACL in her left knee in another crash. Even before then, all eyes were on her as the feel-good story approached the Olympics for her comeback after nearly six years of retirement.
In his latest post, Vonn said he is “very still but I have a lot of friends and family who have come to visit me.”
Announcement
“I feel very lucky and fortunate to have so many people around me that have really helped me get through this, so I just wanted to say thank you and go to Team USA,” Vonn said. “It’s great to watch and has really lifted my spirits. Great job, team, and keep giving it your all. I’ll be in touch with you guys when I can.”
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AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics