Fans react to Lindsey Vonn’s fall at the Winter Olympics
Lindsey Vonn crashed about 13 seconds after starting the downhill and had to be airlifted from the Olimpia della Tofane course.
CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy — Lindsey Vonn will be returning home soon.
In an Instagram post on Saturday, February 14, Vonn said her third surgery was successful and she can finally return to the United States. Once there, she will need another surgery to repair a compound tibial fracture in her left leg sustained in a collision in the Olympic downhill.
“Once I return, I will provide updates and information regarding the injury,” Vonn wrote.
Vonn also reiterated that even though her Olympics ended in a horrific accident, she has no regrets. Despite suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament, bruised left knee and torn meniscus from the January 30 accident, Vonn said she felt physically stronger than ever.
“I am definitely stronger than I was when I ended my career with a bronze medal at the World Championships in 2019,” she wrote. “And mentally…Mentally, I was perfect. Clear, focused, hungry, active, yet completely calm….I was more prepared than ever before.”
But that doesn’t guarantee her anything, Bonn said. She was taking a risk, trying her best to win another Olympic gold medal. It was a risk she willingly took, and she doesn’t want anyone to feel sorry for her because of the outcome.
“You’ll never know unless you try,” she wrote. “So don’t be sad (for me). This ski was worth the fall. When I close my eyes at night, I have no regrets and my love for skiing remains. I still look forward to the moment when I can stand on top of the mountain again. And I will.”
Vonn included a video of her last run before the accident in Cortina, one of her favorite places. She achieved her first World Cup podium in Cortina, with 12 of her 84 wins coming here.
“I’m grateful to have this memory,” she said.
Lindsey Vonn’s Instagram update
What happened to Lindsey Vonn?
Bong hooked the fourth gate with his right arm and spun into the hard-packed snow. She fell several times before stopping.
“Things happen so fast in this sport,” American teammate Vera Wright said after the race. “Lindsay seemed to have incredible speed coming out of that turn and ended up catching her arm.”
The three-time Olympic medalist remained face down in the snow and screams of pain could be heard. Fans’ gasps and groans faded into a shocked silence as medical workers treated her. Vonn remained on course for approximately 13 minutes before being loaded onto a helicopter.
What is Lindsey Vonn’s injury?
In an Instagram post on February 9, Vonn shared the shocking news that she had suffered a compound fracture of her tibia and would need multiple surgeries. The 41-year-old updated her fans on February 11 after undergoing her third surgery in Italy, including some scary photos showing her progress. On February 13, Vonn posted that she still has more surgeries to attend after undergoing yet another surgery.
“The last few days here at the hospital have been quite difficult. I finally feel like myself, but I have a long way to go,” Bon said. “I’m scheduled to have another surgery tomorrow, which I hope goes well. After that, I’ll likely be discharged from the hospital to go home, but at that point I’ll need another surgery. We won’t know exactly what that means until we get better images.”
A tibia fracture is a fracture of the shin bone that requires urgent treatment. According to the Cleveland Clinic, “The tibia is some of the strongest bones in the body, and it typically takes significant force to break it.” “If you fracture your shin bone, you probably won’t be able to stand, walk, or put any weight on your foot.”
According to Yale Medicine, a compound fracture involves multiple fractures of the bone and damaged soft tissue. Symptoms include extreme pain, numbness, and in some cases, bones may protrude through the skin. Treatment includes stabilization and surgery.
Lindsey Vonn Accident Video
NBC broadcast the Olympics and posted video of Vonn’s crash.
USA TODAY Sports’ Samantha Cardona-Norberg provides commentary in the aftermath of Lindsday Vonn’s crash.
Fans fell silent as soon as Vonn crashed, reacting with shock and sadness, then cheering as a helicopter hoisted her into the sky. USA TODAY Sports spoke to some fans after the accident.
Is Lindsey Vonn okay?
After the crash, Vonn was clearly in pain but was able to move her arms, head and neck.
Approximately 18 minutes after the crash, the helicopter slowly began its flight towards Cortina. “Let’s hear from Lindsey Vonn!” the American announcer said as the helicopter flew away with her, and the crowd cheered and applauded.
Vonn’s sister Karin Kildow was on the downhill course today and told an NBC reporter during a live broadcast:
“That was definitely something we didn’t want to see happen and it happened so fast. When something like that happens, you just hope she’s okay right away. And then when you start seeing the stretcher being taken out, it was scary because that’s not a good sign,” Kildow said. “But she really…she was very brave and gave it her all. So it’s really hard to tell, but we really hope she’s okay.”
“She has all her surgeons and PT staff here, as well as her doctors, so I’m sure they’ll give us a report and we’ll see her wherever she is at the hospital.”
Lindsey Vonn suffers anterior cruciate ligament tear
It was the second time in recent weeks that Vonn had left the summit by helicopter. She suffered a complete rupture of her left anterior cruciate ligament, a torn meniscus and bone contusions in a downhill accident on January 30, the last World Cup event before the start of the Olympics.
Vonn has had her right knee partially replaced and is also skiing. She was dominating the sport even before her accident, finishing on the podium in all five downhill races this season and winning two of them.
Despite her recent injury, Vonn was determined to compete in her fifth and final Olympics. She said her knee feels stable and strong and has been doing intensive rehabilitation, pool training, weightlifting and plyometrics over the last week. She skied both training runs and had the third fastest time on the second run before it was canceled due to fog and snow.
Lindsey Vonn’s Olympic history
Vonn, 41, skied in her fifth Winter Olympics (2002, 2006, 2010, 2018 and 2026). She won three medals at the Olympics (1 gold, 2 bronze).
