Legendary American skier Lindsey Vonn’s emotional return to the Winter Olympics came to a heartbreaking close on Sunday when she suffered a severe crash just 13 seconds into the women’s downhill race at the Milano Cortina 2026 Games, resulting in a complex tibia fracture in her left leg that has already required two surgeries and will need more procedures ahead.
The 41-year-old, a three-time Olympic medalist and one of the most decorated alpine skiers in history with 82 World Cup victories, was airlifted from the Tofane slope after clipping a gate and tumbling violently. Medical teams stabilized her on-site before transferring her to a hospital in Treviso, where initial surgery addressed the fracture, followed by a second procedure to manage swelling and ensure proper blood flow.
Vonn, who had made a stunning comeback after nearly six years in retirement—including a partial knee replacement—revealed the full extent of her injury in an Instagram post the following day. She described sustaining a “complex tibia fracture that is currently stable but will require multiple surgeries to fix properly.”
Defiant and reflective, Vonn emphasized she has “no regrets” about competing, insisting the crash stemmed from being “5 inches too tight” on her line rather than her recent injuries. Notably, she had ruptured her left ACL just days earlier in a World Cup training crash but chose to race anyway, stating the ACL tear “had nothing to do with my crash whatsoever.”
“My Olympic dream did not finish the way I dreamt it would,” Vonn wrote. “It wasn’t a story book ending, but I gave it everything I had.”
The incident has sparked concern from those closest to her. Vonn’s father, Alan Kildow, told ESPN he hopes the crash marks the “end of her career” if he has any influence, underscoring the physical toll of the sport on his daughter’s body over decades of high-risk competition.
Vonn’s career has long been defined by a fearless “win or crash” mentality, earning her global admiration and titles in speed events. Her attempt to compete at a fifth Olympics—on the very slopes of Cortina where she claimed a record 12 World Cup wins—symbolized resilience after years of knee issues and retirement in 2019.
Now in stable condition and beginning rehabilitation, Vonn expressed gratitude to her medical team and fans while acknowledging the grueling road to recovery. The skiing world watches closely to see if this latest setback will finally end one of the sport’s most illustrious chapters—or if Vonn’s unbreakable spirit will fuel yet another improbable return.
For now, the focus remains on healing, as Vonn faces the toughest challenge yet: rebuilding from a devastating injury that cut short what many hoped would be a triumphant Olympic farewell.
