Lindsey Vonn, an Olympic skier, had suffered a ruptured ACL at her final race January 31st, one week before the 2026 Olympics. Lindsey made a miraculous return to the Olympics on a torn ACL and ended up with a fractured tibia, in other words a broken leg.
During her first injury, when she ruptured her ACL she had fallen in a downhill crash. Since this was a week before the Olympics this put her status in question, in a press conference Vonn said she was still intended to complete. When she made her return, only 15 seconds into her run she clipped a pole and crashed. The injury ended Vonn’s run at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
After being taken out of the Olympics, she had undergone three separate, successful surgeries due to her injury. On February 11th, Lindsey shared an Instagram post that she is making progress even though it was slow and included photos. “I had my 3rd surgery today and it was successful. Success today has a completely different meaning than it did a few days ago, Vonn wrote. I’m making progress and while it’s slow, I know I’ll be okay.”
After a week in an Italian Hospital she was given the approval to head back home. Lindsey is now back in the U.S. at another hospital after her four surgeries. She said the road of recovery is long and one she has traveled many times.
Vonn has become a symbol of bravery and an inspiration to keep fighting because that is what she was and will continue to do. She wrote last week, “I hope instead it gives you strength to keep fighting, because that is what I am doing and that is what I will continue to do. Always.” Vonn is healthier in the downhill starting hut than she had been at many other moments in her career.
https://www.nbcnews.com/sports/olympics/lindsey-vonn-photos-hospital-winter-olympics-rcna258598
