Lindsey Vonn is grinding through intense pre-surgery strength work ahead of her ninth procedure—an ACL reconstruction targeted for November—following the devastating injuries from her February 8, 2026, Milano Cortina Olympic downhill crash.
The 41-year-old American skiing legend (who turned 42 around mid-October) has already undergone eight surgeries tied to that incident and a preceding World Cup crash. She is focused on building as much muscle endurance and mass as possible so that post-operative atrophy leaves her with a stronger foundation for the long rehabilitation ahead.
The Injuries and Surgeries
Vonn ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in her left knee during a January 30, 2026, World Cup downhill in Crans-Montana, Switzerland. Determined to compete at the Olympics despite the tear, she started the women’s downhill on February 8 in Cortina. Just 13 seconds in, she clipped a gate, lost control, and crashed. She was airlifted off the course with a complex left tibia fracture (plus injuries to the fibular head and tibial plateau) and a broken right ankle.
The trauma triggered compartment syndrome. Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Tom Hackett (present in part because of her earlier ACL injury) performed emergency procedures, including a fasciotomy that saved her leg from amputation. Multiple subsequent operations stabilized the fractures with plates, screws, and other hardware. Reports consistently describe eight surgeries connected to the injuries overall. Vonn spent nearly two months largely wheelchair-bound before progressing to walking, training, and even tennis.
The ACL itself could not be addressed until the bones healed sufficiently and hardware considerations were managed, which is why the reconstruction has been deferred until roughly November (or sometime this winter). She has said the procedure will start another roughly nine-month recovery road.
Pre-Surgery Preparation
In late October 2026 Instagram updates, Vonn shared videos of high-repetition strength and balance work: single-leg squats on resistance bands, weighted and unweighted barbell squats, planks on an exercise ball, and gradual jumps with impact absorption. She captioned the effort as focusing on muscle endurance and mass “so when my leg atrophies post surgery i might still have some muscle left,” noting “2 1/2 weeks to go!”
Earlier comments to TNT Sports at the U.S. Open echoed the same mindset: “I still have another surgery, so I’m trying to get as strong as possible… Once I get my ACL, then I’ll have another long road ahead of me. But for now, I feel great, and I’m very thankful for that.”
Lindsey Vonn Faces Another Surgery, Nine More Months of Rehab – Ski Racing Media
U.S. Ski & Snowboard included Vonn on its provisional 2026-27 roster, keeping options open, though she is not expected to race this season. She has spoken of a “small chance” she might be “crazy enough to try one more time,” with any realistic return potentially targeting the 2027-28 campaign after full recovery. She has repeatedly emphasized gratitude for simply retaining her leg and progressing, while remaining uncertain about future competitive plans.
Vonn’s career has long been defined by resilience: four overall World Cup titles, the 2010 Olympic downhill gold, a 2019 retirement, a 2024 partial right-knee replacement that enabled her return, and multiple World Cup podiums and wins in the 2024-26 window before the latest crashes. This latest chapter continues that pattern of determined recovery.
