Lindsey Vonn Doubles Down On Health Update After Olympics Crash

Lindsey Vonn reflects on the state of her health after arriving home from the 2026 Winter Olympics.

The ski racer detailed her experience at the event after she dropped out of the contest due to an injury she sustained during her stay in Italy.

Lindsey Vonn has since undergone surgeries after the brutal ski incident, which reportedly severely affected her tibia, drawing hundreds of sympathies from concerned fans all over the world.

The athlete issued a statement on her X account, noting that she has not stood on her feet in over a week due to being in a hospital bed and thus immobile since the race.

"And although I'm not yet able to stand, being back on home soil feels amazing. Huge thank you to everyone in Italy for taking good care of me," she concluded.

Vonn's post was received with positive reactions from fans who praised her for representing the country so proudly while putting her best foot forward.

"Welcome home. Even from a hospital bed, it must feel amazing to be back on familiar soil. Huge respect for pushing through, wishing you a smooth recovery," a commenter noted.

Another well-wisher urged her to take her rehab treatment seriously, emphasizing that such risks are expected due to her status as an athlete and also because greatness never comes easy.

Breaking her silence on the situation, US Weekly reported that Vonn informed her fans that her fourth surgery went well and she would like to place some things into the right perspective.

First, she urged her fans to ditch the sad tributes and remain empathetic to her situation with the understanding that she took a risk by going for the competition.

Vonn noted that despite tearing her ACL a few days before the event started, she went in, knowing full well that every skier in the starting gate took the same risk. She noted that even the strongest skier in the world is at the mercy of the mountains and their wishes.

The skier was indeed competing at the World Cup race in Switzerland on January 30 when she tore her ACL, nine days before the winter Olympics started. In an Instagram announcement, Vonn had assured her fans that after extensive consultations, intense therapy, and physical tests coupled with skiing lessons, she was good to go.

On February 11, The Blast shared that Vonn took to Instagram to tell a deeply personal story about her injury and subsequent surgery, which happened in several phases. 

The painful encounter unfortunately ended Vonn's journey in the competition. In a series of images shared on her Instagram, Vonn lay on the hospital bed flanked by medical equipment, her injured leg held by an external fixator, and an encouraging thumbs up from the superstar. 

The athlete emphasized that since the injury, success has taken on a new meaning for her, and she has gotten more appreciative of the subtle progress she has been making.

The second image showcased Vonn interacting with the treatment nurse, while the third image spotlighted the overwhelming support received by the athlete so far in carts of colorful flower arrangements.

Vonn was filled with gratitude to the USA team, who stood by her side through the difficult days and continued to give a performance worth cheering for as they carried on without her.

The 41-year-old suffered the crushing crash during her Olympic final run, where she lost control after speeding on a hill and crashing into one of the plastic markers lining the track. As shared by athletes, the right leg reportedly hit the ground first and caused a ruckus in the snow as the force threw her forward.

As if that was not enough, Vonn tumbled yet again and slammed her shoulder into the slope before the chaos ultimately ended. Medical crew quickly rushed to the scene as onlookers watched with panic in their eyes and intense concern for the sport star.

Vonn was subsequently airlifted off the mountain by a helicopter and transported directly to the hospital for emergency treatment. A medic who attended to the athlete on the spot detailed that she was in a lot of pain, and the nature of her injury warranted the airlifting.

The legendary skier made her debut in the Olympics over two decades ago in 2002 at Salt Lake City. According to Today, she also competed at the Winter Olympics in 2006, 2010 in Vancouver, and 2018 in PyeongChang.

She missed out on the Winter Olympics in Sochi in 2014 due to a knee injury and made up for it with her fifth appearance at the Milan Cortina Games, although short-lived.

Vonn is a celebrated ski star, with three Olympic medals to her name and the record as the only American woman to win an Olympic gold medal in the event in 2010. She won two bronze medals in the super-G and the downhill categories in 2018.

She announced her retirement in 2019, stating that her body was "broken beyond repair" and robbing her of the final season of her dreams. In 2024, she announced her comeback to The New York Times, noting that she had begun training with the United States ski team.

Wishing Lindsey Vonn a speedy recovery!