Skiing icon Lindsey Vonn’s bid for one last Olympic glory turned into a fight for her future after a horrifying crash during the women’s downhill at the 2026 Winter Games.
The 41-year-old American superstar, already battling a ruptured ACL from a pre-Games training mishap, clipped a gate just 13 seconds into her run, tumbling violently down the slope in Cortina d’Ampezzo. Airlifted to hospital, she was diagnosed with a severe, complex tibia fracture requiring immediate and ongoing surgery.
Vonn has since endured multiple procedures—including at least three or four reported so far—at Treviso’s Ca’ Foncello Hospital, where an external fixator stabilizes the shattered bone. Lead surgeon Stefano Zanarella called the injury “complicated and delicate,” noting his team treated her as any patient despite her fame and coordinated expert care through the challenging recovery.
But the outlook remains grim. French orthopedic knee specialist Dr. Bertrand Sonnery-Cottet warned that injuries of this severity—often seen in high-impact accidents—can lead to permanent complications. “It will be months before she can walk normally again,” he told RMC Sport. “Her goal now is first and foremost to keep her leg and be able to walk… some injuries like hers can end in amputation.”
Medical commentators have echoed the severity, describing it as a “bad fracture” with significant soft-tissue damage, and Vonn herself has posted emotional updates from her hospital bed. In one, she shared: “Success today has a completely different meaning… I’m making progress, and while it is slow, I know I’ll be ok.” After her latest surgery, she confirmed it “went well” and that she can soon return to the U.S. for further treatment, vowing no regrets about competing and hinting at a future return to the slopes.
As the Milano-Cortina Games press on—with Norway topping the medal table—Vonn’s ordeal has stolen the spotlight, serving as a stark reminder of alpine skiing’s razor-thin line between triumph and tragedy. Fans worldwide rally behind the champion, hoping her unbreakable spirit carries her through what could be the toughest battle of her storied career.
