Lindsey Vonn Finally Addresses Her ‘Brutal’ Crash as She Undergoes Surgery After Being Airlifted to the Hospital Mid-Olympics
Lindsey Vonn suffered a broken leg after she crashed during her women’s downhill run at the 2026 Winter Milan Cortino Olympics in on Sunday, February 8. The Olympian competed 8 days after she completely tore her ACL.
The 41-year-old skier was seen jumping and screaming in agony before she was medivacced in a helicopter. On Feb 8, the athlete was being treated by a “multidisciplinary team and “underwent an orthopedic operation to stabilize a fracture reported in her left leg,” the Ca’ Foncello hospital said in a statement to the Associated Press.
Related: How to Watch the Winter Olympics Live for Free & Catch Every Gold Medal Moment
“She’ll be OK, but it’s going to be a bit of a process,” said Anouk Patty, chief of sport for U.S. Ski and Snowboard. “This sport’s brutal and people need to remember when they’re watching (that) these athletes are throwing themselves down a mountain and going really, really fast.”
What happened to Lindsey Vonn’s leg in the Olympics?
During the race, Vonn hooked the fourth gate with her right arm, and it spun her off-balance. After fighting to regain control, her weight shifted and she landed head first in the snow.
After the crash, Lindsey Vonn’s sister, Karin Kidlow, told NBC reporters, that she was concerned for her sibling. “I mean that definitely was the last thing we wanted to see and it happened quick and when that happens, you’re just immediately hoping she’s okay,” Kildow said. “And it was scary because when you start to see the stretchers being put out, it’s not a good sign. But she really … she just dared greatly and she put it all out there. So it’s really hard to see, but we just really hope she’s okay.
“She does have all of her surgeons and her PT staff here and her doctors, so I’m sure they’ll give us a report and we’ll meet her at whatever hospital she’s at.”
Lindsey Vonn broke her silence on social media when Dan Walker wrote a poignant post on X about the athlee’s courage. “Vonn knew she might not win. She knew it might hurt. She understood the risk. She embraced it because not going down that mountain would mean surrendering to the things that stop you getting out of bed in the morning. Great sporting moments don’t always finish on a podium. They are acts of courage. They are athletes standing on the start line, knowing it could be the last time, knowing it might go wrong… and launching themselves anyway.” Vonn replied, “Thank you Dan 🙏🏻”
The three time Olympic medalist responded to critics who questioned whether she should be competing with a torn ACL. Sports medicine doctor wrote on X, “What she is doing now would not be nearly as surprising in an elite athlete whose knee was already functioning like the ACL was torn at baseline. When you hear stories about “so and so played for years on a torn ACL”, that’s chronic, meaning the body has time to adapt and retrain muscles to support the knee.”
“lol thanks doc,” Vonn responded via X on Saturday, February 7. “My ACL was fully functioning until last Friday. Just because it seems impossible to you doesn’t mean it’s not possible. And yes, my ACL is 100% ruptured. Not 80% or 50%. It’s 100% gone.”
Vonn stood by her decision to compete amid injury in an Instagram post. “Just getting to these Olympics has been a journey, and one that some did not believe in from the start,” Vonn shared via Instagram on Saturday, February 5. “I retired for 6 years, and because of a partial knee replacement, I had the chance to compete one more time. But why? Everyone seems to be asking me that question. But I think the answer is simple…I just love ski racing.”
She added, “I will stand in the starting gate tomorrow and know I am strong. Know that I believe in myself. Know that the odds are stacked against me with my age, no ACL, and a titanium knee- but know that I still believe. And usually, when the odds are stacked against me the most, I pull the best of what’s inside me out.”
