Lindsey Vonn has announced her return to the United States. This comes after she successfully underwent her fourth surgery to fix a significant tibia fracture, which she suffered during the women’s downhill event at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics.
“Today’s surgery went well!” she shared on Instagram, just three days after her previous operation. “I’m thankful to finally be heading back to the States 🇺🇸! Once I’m home, I’ll provide updates on my injury situation.”
The 41-year-old skier had torn her anterior cruciate ligament before the competition but still chose to compete. Unfortunately, just 13.4 seconds into last Sunday’s race, she crashed. After the accident, she was airlifted from the Cortina d’Ampezzo course, later revealing that she would require multiple surgeries to mend her injury before making her way back home.
Despite the challenges and missing out on another chance at a gold medal, as she made her return to the sport for the Olympics, Vonn emphasized that people shouldn’t feel sorrow for her. Instead, she encourages others to find hope and a determination to keep moving forward.
“I’ve been getting a lot of messages expressing sadness over my situation,” she stated. “But please don’t be sad. I appreciate the empathy, love, and support, but let’s focus on strength instead. That’s what I do and will continue to do, always.”
2026 Winter Olympics
Reflecting on her crash, Vonn mentioned that she didn’t head to the starting gate unaware of the risks involved. “I was aware of the possible consequences. I chose to take that risk. Every skier in the gate took a similar risk, because even the strongest person can’t predict how the mountain will respond.”
Having won gold at the 2010 Vancouver Games, she expressed a commitment to taking risks in order to pursue her passion, rejecting the idea of staying home with regrets.
She reassured her fans that the injury was not life-threatening.
“But just because I was prepared doesn’t mean I was guaranteed anything,” she added. “Life offers no guarantees. Following your dreams is a gamble. You might fail, but you’ll never know if you don’t take the leap.”
“So, please don’t feel sorrow. This attempt was worth the fall. When I lie down at night, I harbor no regrets and my love for skiing remains strong. I still look forward to standing atop a mountain again. And I will.”
