After a “hard few days” in the hospital, Lindsey Vonn may be on her way out soon.
On Friday afternoon, the three-time Olympic medalist posted a near two-minute video to her socials, updating her status in her road to recovery after she suffered a major tibia fracture in her left leg following a scary crash during the women’s downhill during the opening weekend of the Milan Cortina Olympics.
“I’m finally feeling more like myself but I have a long, long way to go,” Vonn said. “Tomorrow I’ll have another surgery and hopefully that goes well and then I can potentially leave and go back at home. At which point, I’ll need another surgery. Still don’t know exactly what that entails yet until I get some better imaging.”
Vonn’s injury has left her needing multiple surgeries. Saturday’s will be her fourth since she crashed 13 seconds into the race after hitting a gate and was airlifted off the Olympic course and taken to Ca’ Foncello Hospital in Treviso.
Prior to the crash, the 41-year-old also ruptured her ACL after a fall during a tune-up race in Switzerland roughly a week before the start of the Winter Games.
“That’s kinda where I am right now. I’m just in the hospital, very much immobile,” Vonn added in the video.
Vonn underwent two procedures in the immediate aftermath of the accident. She admitted in an Instagram post on Monday that she had “no regrets” about getting into the start gate to race despite the ACL injury.
She was chasing a fourth Olympic medal after coming out of retirement in 2024 after she was forced to leave the sport in 2019 due to a number of injuries including chronic knee pain.
Vonn’s complex and serious injury had a doctor show concern over amputation, as similar injuries have called for such a solution.
Her father, Alan Kildow, also told the Associated Press that this should be “the end” of Vonn’s career, that is, if he has any say in the matter.
“There will be no more ski races for Lindsey Vonn, as long as I have anything to say about it,” he said.
In her recent video, Vonn also went on to thank her friends, family and fans for supporting her during this tough time. She has received loads of flowers and stuffed animals, including the stuffed shark behind her head in the post.
“Like I said, the letters and the notes and everything — the flowers — have just been so incredible,” she said. “The staff and medical team have been amazing. So, I feel very lucky and fortunate to have so many people around me that have really helped me get through this. I just wanted to say thank you and go Team USA. It’s been so great to watch and you’ve really lifted my spirits. Good job team and keep crushing it.”
