American skier Lindsey Vonn said on Instagram that she suffered a complex fracture of the tibia during a fall in the downhill at the 2026 Olympics, which will require multiple operations.
She further wrote on Instagram that her accident had nothing to do with the torn ligament in her knee and other previous injuries.
“Yesterday, my Olympic dream didn’t end the way I dreamed it would. It wasn’t a fairy tale ending or a story like a book – it was simply life.
I dared to dream and worked hard to live that dream. In downhill skiing, however, sometimes centimeters decide. The difference between an ideal foot and a serious injury can be only a few centimeters.
In my case, I followed the track just a few centimeters too closely, I caught the gate with my right hand, which twisted me and led to a fall. My injured knee and previous health problems had nothing to do with it,” Vonn explained her fall.
VIDEO: Lindsey Vonn’s fall in the downhill at the 2026 Olympics
“Unfortunately, I suffered a complicated tibia fracture. The injury is currently stable, but I will need multiple surgeries to fully recover.
Even though yesterday didn’t end the way I wanted and brought a lot of physical pain, I have no regrets. Standing in the starting gate was an indescribable feeling that I will never forget. Knowing that I had a chance to win was a victory in itself.
At the same time, I realized that racing is a risk. Always has been and always will be. It’s an extremely dangerous sport,” added the American.
Forty-one-year-old Vonn had a heavy fall on Sunday after just a few seconds of driving.
She started at the 2026 Olympics even though she tore the anterior cruciate ligament in her knee at the end of January in the World Cup race in Crans Montana.
She was transported by helicopter from the slope to the hospital in Cortina d’Ampezzo, from where she later headed to Treviso.
There, according to Reuters, she is hospitalized in an intensive care unit, where she has more privacy. Her life is not in any way threatened.
date:2026-02-09 22:52:00
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