On February 8, Linsey Vonn suffered a high-speed crash at the 2026 Winter Olympics that caused her to sustain a complex tibia fracture. Vonn is one of the best ski racers of all time, and has been a fan favorite since coming out of retirement in 2024.
According to USA Today, Vonn hooked the fourth gate of the downhill race with her right arm 13 seconds into her run. She then spun sideways, hit the ground, and tumbled end over end several times before coming to a stop. Vonn remained on the course for around 18 minutes before she was transported by helicopter to a hospital.
Vonn has undergone four surgeries in Italy to repair her tibia. She was transported back to the United States on February 17, and is expected to have at least one more surgery there.
Two weeks before this crash, Vonn fully ruptured her left ACL, damaged her meniscus, and sustained bone bruising from a downhill crash on January 30 in the final World Cup event before the Olympics. She decided to race in the Olympics despite this, and spent the week before the Olympics doing intense rehab such as pool workouts, weight lifting, and plyometrics.
Despite her ACL injury, Vonn successfully completed both Olympic training runs. According to the Olympics website, she finished third in the final training run. After this run, her coach Aksel Lund Svindal said that “This is as ready as she will be and I believe that she has a good chance at being top 3.”
In 2019, Vonn announced that she was going to retire from ski racing at 34 years old. On her Instagram account, she said that “My body is screaming at me to STOP, and it’s time for me to listen.” According to the New York Times, she had sustained many injuries throughout her career, and wasn’t able to race without pain. When she retired, Vonn was the greatest female skier in history, with 82 World Cup wins and three Olympic gold medals.
Then, in 2024, she had a right-knee replacement surgery, and was surprised to be able to ski without pain, according to the New York Times. In response to this surprise, Vonn said, “I had a smile so wide it was coming through the back of my helmet.”
She rejoined the US ski team in November 2024 at 40 years old, and had been racing since. According to ESPN, Vonn obtained seven podium finishes this season.
Although many people have felt sympathy and sadness for Vonn since her crash, she urges them not to. On her Instagram, she wrote, “So please, don’t feel sad. The ride was worth the fall. When I close my eyes at night I don’t have regrets and the love I have for skiing remains”
Image source: US Ski and Snowboard