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US Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn says she can finally go home after several surgeries.
She is six days removed from an infamous accident, just 13 seconds into her race in the women’s downhill at Milan Cortina. She underwent four surgeries while being turned away in an Italian hospital.
“The surgery went well today! Luckily, I’ll finally be able to return to the States,” Vonn wrote in an Instagram post.
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Lindsey Vonn of the United States arrives at the finish of a women’s alpine skiing downhill practice at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, February 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
Vonn refrained from revealing certain details about her condition.
“Once I return, I will give you more updates and information on my injury,” she added.
“I’ve read a lot of messages and comments saying that what happened to me makes them sad. Please don’t be sad.”
Vonn became one of the stars of the Winter Games, returning to the world stage after a temporary retirement. She was competing just days after tearing her ACL. When the accident happened, countless American fans were shocked and sent Vonn to the operating table for extensive medical procedures.
“When I look back on my fall, I didn’t stand at the start gate without being aware of the potential consequences. I knew what I was doing. I chose to take a risk. Every skier in that start gate took the same risk. Because even if you are the strongest person in the world, the mountain still holds the cards,” she added.
“I was willing to risk, push and sacrifice for something I knew I was absolutely capable of doing. I will always take the risk of crashing by giving my best, rather than not skiing to my full potential and having regrets. I never want to cross the finish line thinking ‘what if?’ And to be completely honest, I was physically stronger then than I have often been in the past.”
LINDSEY VONN UNDERGOES SURGERY FOR LEG FRACTURE AFTER HARD CRASH DURING OLYMPIC RACE
American Lindsey Vonn concentrates before a practice session in women’s alpine skiing downhill at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Marco Trovati)
She says she thinks she felt “stronger” going into this year’s games with a torn ACL than she did in 2019 when she first retired.
“Definitely stronger than when I finished my career in 2019, where I won a bronze medal at the World Championships. And mentally… Mentally I was perfect. Clear, focused, hungry, aggressive and yet completely calm… just like I had trained over the last few months when I was on the podium in every downhill this season. 2 wins and at the top of the rankings… all this was a test to prepare myself for the Olympics. Mentally I was more ready than ever”, she declared. said.
“But just because I was ready, it didn’t guarantee me anything. Nothing in life is guaranteed. It’s the gamble of chasing your dreams, you might fall but if you don’t try, you’ll never know.”
His medical procedures may not be complete. She suggested she would need additional surgeries in an Instagram post on Friday.
“I finally feel more like myself, but I have a very long way to go,” Vonn said Friday.
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American Lindsey Vonn is airlifted after an accident during a women’s alpine ski race at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
“Tomorrow I’ll have another surgery, and hopefully everything goes well. And then I’ll potentially be able to leave and go home, in which case I’ll need another surgery. I’m still not sure exactly what that entails until I get better imaging.”
But now she can at least recover at home.
