In a raw and deeply personal interview with Vanity Fair, American skiing icon Lindsey Vonn has revealed the terrifying hours following her devastating crash at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics — including screaming in unbearable pain while paparazzi crowded the helipad as she was airlifted to hospital.
The 41-year-old three-time Olympic medalist, who made a stunning comeback to compete at the Games, suffered catastrophic injuries to her left leg during the women’s downhill event in Cortina. The high-speed fall left her with severe fractures to her tibia, fibula, and ankle, quickly escalating into a life-altering medical emergency.
Vonn described how the pain hit her with brutal force even after initial painkillers were administered before a CT scan. “I was just in such extreme pain. I screamed at the top of my lungs: ‘Get me out.’ It just wouldn’t dissipate. It wouldn’t let up. It’s seared into my brain,” she told the magazine.
Team USA Ski and Snowboard head physician Dr. Tom Hackett confirmed the scan revealed the extent of the damage, prompting an urgent transfer by helicopter to a hospital in Treviso. But the situation turned chaotic when news of the move leaked, and paparazzi swarmed the helipad, making it difficult for the aircraft to land safely.
Once at the hospital, a large medical team of around 20 doctors and nurses rushed Vonn into surgery. However, even after the initial operation, swelling continued relentlessly despite massive doses of strong narcotics including fentanyl, morphine, and oxycodone. Doctors soon diagnosed compartment syndrome — a dangerous condition where pressure builds inside the leg, cutting off blood flow and risking permanent nerve and muscle damage.
Hackett didn’t mince words about the severity: “There was a very significant chance that she was going to lose all function of her leg, if not the leg itself.”
Vonn underwent multiple surgeries (reports suggest up to five in total) over the following days and spent nearly two weeks in a Milan-area hospital. She later described the ordeal as mentally grueling — constantly woken every three hours by nurses she couldn’t understand, in a shared room with thin curtains and lights that never fully dimmed.
“It took everything I had for it to not drive me insane,” Vonn admitted, though she expressed deep gratitude to the Italian medical team and especially to Hackett for his swift actions that helped save her limb.
Now back home and recovering — often sharing updates from a wheelchair or on crutches — Vonn remains uncertain about her skiing future. She refused to slam the door shut on a potential return, saying, “I don’t like to close the door on anything, because you just never know what’s going to happen.” At the same time, she acknowledged the harsh reality: “It’s hard to tell with this injury. It’s so f–ked up. I really feel like that was a horrible last run to end my career on.”
The candid interview paints a stark picture of an athlete who dominated the slopes for years suddenly facing vulnerability, intense physical trauma, and the loss of control in the spotlight. Vonn has also received an outpouring of support, including a personal letter from Prince William, but her focus now is on rehabilitation and reclaiming normal life — one painful step at a time.
Her story continues to underscore the extreme risks of elite downhill skiing and the remarkable resilience required to confront such a life-changing moment.
