Lindsey Vonn says she suffered ‘complex tibia fracture’ in Olympic downhill crash
CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy — American skiing icon Lindsey Vonn said she suffered a “complex tibia fracture” after a violent crash during Sunday’s Olympic downhill race, marking the latest serious injury in a career defined by both dominance and resilience.
The 41-year-old Team USA star confirmed the diagnosis in a statement posted to Instagram late Monday night, her first public comments since being airlifted off the course during the race. Vonn said she would require multiple additional surgeries to fully repair the damage to her left leg.
Hospital officials in Treviso, where Vonn was transported following the crash, said she initially underwent treatment to stabilize the fracture. The facility is located roughly two hours from the Olympic venue in Cortina d’Ampezzo.
“In downhill ski racing the difference between a strategic line and a catastrophic injury can be as small as five inches,” Vonn wrote. “While yesterday did not end the way I had hoped, and despite the intense physical pain it caused, I have no regrets.”
Crash just seconds into the race
Vonn’s crash occurred just 13 seconds after she left the starting gate on the demanding Olimpia delle Tofane course. As she passed through a gate, her right arm appeared to catch on the inside panel, spinning her violently into the air.
She landed hard on the snow and tumbled down the slope before coming to rest on her back. Television footage captured her screaming in pain as medical crews rushed to her side. She was later evacuated by helicopter.
Despite widespread speculation, Vonn said a torn anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee — sustained only eight days before the race — did not contribute to the crash.
“I was simply five inches too tight on my line when my right arm hooked inside of the gate,” she wrote. “My ACL and past injuries had nothing to do with my crash whatsoever.”
A remarkable return to the sport
Vonn’s decision to compete in the Olympics despite her ACL tear had already become one of the most talked-about storylines of the Games.
After retiring from professional skiing in 2019 due to repeated knee injuries, Vonn underwent a partial knee replacement in 2024, receiving a titanium implant in her right knee. The procedure allowed her to resume high-level training — and ultimately to return to competition faster than many believed possible.
This season, she stunned the skiing world by reclaiming elite form, winning two World Cup downhill races and finishing on the podium five more times before suffering the ACL injury.
Her successful training runs on the Cortina course in the days leading up to the Olympic race only heightened anticipation, turning the downhill into one of the most eagerly awaited events of the Games.
No decision yet on retirement
Vonn did not address whether the injury would end her competitive career, leaving open the question of retirement once again.
“Standing in the starting gate yesterday was an incredible feeling that I will never forget,” she wrote. “Knowing I stood there having a chance to win was a victory in and of itself.”
For now, her focus remains on recovery and surgery, as the skiing world once again waits to see whether one of the sport’s most decorated athletes can defy expectations yet again.
