Alpine skiing superstar Lindsey Vonn has emerged from the hospital after nearly two weeks of immobility, revealing in an emotional update how close she came to losing her left leg following a catastrophic crash at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics.
The 41-year-old five-time Olympian posted a heartfelt video on Instagram on February 23, announcing her discharge: “I’m finally out of the hospital!!! After almost 2 weeks of laying in a hospital bed almost completely immobile, I’m finally well enough to move to a hotel. It’s not home yet, but it’s a huge step!”
Vonn detailed the terrifying progression of her injuries from the February 8 downhill event, where she crashed just 13 seconds into her run after clipping a gate. What began as a complex tibia fracture escalated into compartment syndrome—a life- and limb-threatening condition caused by extreme pressure from swelling and bleeding that restricted blood flow and risked muscle, nerve, and tissue death.
“Compartment syndrome is when you have so much trauma to one area of your body that there’s too much blood and it gets stuck and it basically crushes everything,” Vonn explained. “All the muscles, nerves, and tendons all kind of die.” She credited Dr. Tom Hackett, her longtime orthopedic surgeon with Team USA, for intervening decisively with a fasciotomy procedure that “filleted it open and let it breathe,” ultimately saving her leg from amputation.
“If I hadn’t competed [with the torn ACL], Tom wouldn’t have been there. He wouldn’t have been able to save my leg,” Vonn said, noting Hackett performed a six-hour reconstructive surgery after her return to the U.S. Additional complications included fractures to her tibial plateau and fibular head, a broken right ankle, significant blood loss requiring a transfusion, and prior ACL tear from late January.
Now wheelchair-bound, Vonn is shifting focus to rehabilitation, aiming to progress to crutches in the coming weeks. Full bone healing is projected to take about a year, after which she’ll consider hardware removal and ACL repair surgery. “It will be a long road but I’ll get there,” she affirmed. “At least I’m out of the hospital 🙌🏻💪🏻 Love you all.”
Despite the ordeal—described as “the most extreme and painful… injury I’ve ever faced… times 100″—Vonn expressed gratitude and no regrets about her Olympic comeback. Her resilience continues to inspire fans worldwide as she embarks on recovery.
The skiing legend’s unbreakable spirit shines through once again. Get well soon, Lindsey—you’re a true champion. 🇺🇸🏔️
