Photo: Getty Images
American skier Lindsey Vonn broke her silence after undergoing her third surgery following a hard crash during her women's alpine downhill run at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics on Sunday (February 8).
"I had my 3rd surgery today and it was successful. Success today has a completely different meaning than it did a few days ago. I’m making progress and while it is slow, I know I’ll be ok. Thankful for all of the incredible medical staff, friends, family, who have been by my side and the beautiful outpouring of love and support from people around the world. Also, huge congrats to my teammates and all of the Team USA athletes who are out there inspiring me and giving me something to cheer for. ❤️🤍💙," Vonn wrote on her Instagram account Wednesday (February 11).
Vonn, 41, who competed despite tearing her ACL during a practice run nine days prior, had previously confirmed that she would "require multiple surgeries" to properly fix her complex tibia fracture.
"Yesterday my Olympic dream did not finish the way I dreamt it would. It wasn’t a story book ending or a fairy tail, it was just life. I dared to dream and had worked so hard to achieve it. Because in Downhill ski racing the difference between a strategic line and a catastrophic injury can be as small as 5 inches," Vonn wrote. "I was simply 5 inches too tight on my line when my right arm hooked inside of the gate, twisting me and resulted in my crash. My ACL and past injuries had nothing to do with my crash whatsoever.
"Unfortunately, I sustained a complex tibia fracture that is currently stable but will require multiple surgeries to fix properly. While yesterday did not end the way I had hoped, and despite the intense physical pain it caused, I have no regrets. Standing in the starting gate yesterday was an incredible feeling that I will never forget. Knowing I stood there having a chance to win was a victory in and of itself. I also knew that racing was a risk. It always was and always will be an incredibly dangerous sport.
"And similar to ski racing, we take risks in life. We dream. We love. We jump. And sometimes we fall. Sometimes our hearts are broken. Sometimes we don’t achieve the dreams we know we could have. But that is the also the beauty of life; we can try. I tried. I dreamt. I jumped.
"I hope if you take away anything from my journey it’s that you all have the courage to dare greatly. Life is too short not to take chances on yourself. Because the only failure in life is not trying.
"I believe in you, just as you believed in me. LV."
Vonn got off balance in the air during her first jump with her entire weight shifting to the backs of her skis. The legendary skier tried to correct herself midair but couldn't and crashed to the snow, where she remained prone as concerned spectators watched in shocked silence as she could be heard wailing in pain.
Vonn's crash took place about 13 to 14 seconds into her run, remaining down for about 13 minutes before loaded into a helicopter and airlifted about 18 minutes after the crash occurred. The 41-year-old had a relatively clean run with a 1:40.33 time during her first training run Friday (February 6) since the ACL tear one week prior, wearing a brace on her left knee on the Olympia delle Tofane slope, which placed her 11th out of 43 finishers.
Vonn confirmed her decision to still compete in the upcoming Winter Olympics during a press conference on Tuesday (February 3).
"Normally in the past, there's always a moment where you break down and you realize the severity of things and that your dreams are slipping through your fingers," Vonn said via USA TODAY. "I didn't have that this time. I'm not letting this slip through my fingers. I'm gonna do it, end of story. So I'm not letting myself go down that path. I'm not crying. My head is high, I'm standing tall, and I'm gonna do my best, and whatever the result is, that's what it is. But never say I didn't try."
Vonn reportedly lost control while landing a jump and got tangled in the safety nets on the upper portion of the course during her final run before the 2026 Winter Olympics on January 30. The legendary skier received medical attention for about five minutes before getting up, appearing to experience pain as she used her poles to steady herself.
Vonn said she wasn't in pain and her knee wasn't swollen after skiing on Tuesday (February 2). The 41-year-old had previously had a partial titanium replacement inserted into her right knee in 2024, prior to returning to ski racing last year after a nearly six-year retirement after announcing her compete in the 2026 Winter Olympics two years prior.
Vonn is a three-time Olympic medalist, which included winning gold in the downhill and bronze in the super-G at the 2010 Vancouver Games and bronze in the downhill at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games, as well as being a four-time overall World Cup champion and eight-time world championships medalist. Vonn's 82 World Cup race victories -- with her career total now at 84 -- stood as the most for any female skier until being eclipsed by fellow American Mikaela Shiffrin, 30, who is now at 108 career wins, the most of any Alpine skier in history.
iHeartMedia is your home for 24/7 coverage and play-by-play action of the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics.