Lindsey Vonn’s comeback was one of the most remarkable storylines of the 2026 Winter Olympics, but things have not gone according to plan for the alpine skiing icon. She suffered an ugly crash in her first race of the games and has since undergone multiple surgeries.
Vonn’s outlook for the Olympics was already uncertain after she tore her ACL while preparing for the event. Although she surprised many by deciding to head to Italy anyway, the 41-year-old was not at her best and crashed just 13 seconds into her opening run in Milan-Cortina.
She was airlifted to a nearby medical facility, where doctors determined she had suffered a complex tibia fracture in her left leg. The Olympic champion has since undergone at least four surgeries and, after returning to the United States earlier this week, had another procedure.
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Vonn confirmed Friday that the latest surgery, which lasted more than six hours, was successful. She admitted the pain has been difficult to manage.
"Just a quick update… my last surgery went well. It took a little over 6 hours. I have been recovering from the surgery but pain has been hard to manage. Making slow progress but I hope I can be out of the hospital soon. Thank you all for the support," she wrote on X.
Complicating matters, Vonn fractured the same leg in which she had torn her ACL. Adding to the emotional toll, she also lost her beloved dog, Leo, on the same day as her crash in Italy.
Despite the setbacks, Vonn has remained optimistic about her recovery and continues to cheer on Team USA, which currently sits second on the medal table with nine gold medals and 27 total medals.