Olympic alpine skiing legend Lindsey Vonn has undergone her ninth surgery since suffering a catastrophic leg injury at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Games, according to her own updates and multiple reports.
The 42-year-old American, already dealing with a torn ACL from a World Cup race the week before the Olympics, crashed hard in the downhill on February 8. The impact left her with a complex tibia fracture that required extensive hardware. In the months since, she has endured a long series of operations and rehabilitation while remaining characteristically public about the process.
Just days before the latest procedure, Vonn posted gym footage captioned “Last lifting sessions before surgery… LFG 💪” and walked the LACMA Art+Film Gala red carpet in a purple sequined Gucci gown, writing that it was her “last night in heels for a while.” She later confirmed the surgery focused on removing plates and screws and addressing the damaged ACL.
Vonn has said she expects another six to nine months of recovery and physical therapy. Despite the setbacks, she has repeatedly emphasized that she is not ready to close the door on racing. The five-time Olympian previously retired in 2019 after a record 82 World Cup wins, returned after a partial knee replacement, and became one of the oldest athletes to podium and win on the World Cup circuit before the Olympic crash.
As the first American woman to claim Olympic downhill gold (Vancouver 2010) and a three-time Olympic medalist overall, Vonn has built a career defined by comebacks. Her latest updates continue that pattern: candid posts from the gym, a final red-carpet appearance, and now another surgery as she works to put the most serious injury of her career behind her.
