Lindsey Vonn hopes to go home after another surgery following crash in Olympic downhill

By: Andrew Dampf, The Associated Press Posted: 11:46 AM CST Friday, Feb. 13, 2026

CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy (AP) — Lindsey Vonn will have another surgery on her broken left leg Saturday at the Italian hospital treating her “and then I can potentially leave and go back home.”

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CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy (AP) — Lindsey Vonn will have another surgery on her broken left leg Saturday at the Italian hospital treating her “and then I can potentially leave and go back home.”

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 13/02/2026 (232 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy (AP) — Lindsey Vonn will have another surgery on her broken left leg Saturday at the Italian hospital treating her “and then I can potentially leave and go back home.”

Vonn posted a video message on Instagram on Friday following her horrific crash in the Olympic downhill race at the Milan Cortina Games.

“Hey guys, I just wanted to give you a little update and say thank you so much to everyone that has been sending me flowers and letters,” Vonn said, adding that she has also received stuffed animals, including a shark pillow that she was resting her head on in the video. “It’s just been so amazing and really helped me a lot.

In this image taken from video provided by Olympic Broadcasting Services, OBS, United States' Lindsey Vonn crashes during an alpine ski women's downhill race, at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. (Olympic Broadcasting Services via AP)

“It has been quite a hard few days in the hospital here. I’m finally feeling more like myself. I have a long, long way to go. Tomorrow I’ll have another surgery and hopefully that goes well and then I can potentially leave and go back home, at which point I will need another surgery. Still don’t know exactly what that entails yet until I get some better imaging, but it’s kind of where I am right now.”

Vonn is being treated at a hospital in Treviso.

“And yup, that’s a bruise under my eye,” Vonn added in a written message in her post. “Almost gone though!”

The 41-year-old Vonn crashed 13 seconds into her run during Sunday’s race and was airlifted off the course by helicopter. The American skiing standout said late Monday she had suffered a “complex tibia fracture that is currently stable but will require multiple surgeries to fix properly.”

She said on Wednesday that she had a “successful” third surgery.

In this image taken from video provided by Olympic Broadcasting Services, OBS, United States' Lindsey Vonn lays on the course after crashing during an alpine ski women's downhill race, at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. (Olympic Broadcasting Services via AP)

Nine days before Sunday’s crash, Vonn ruptured the ACL in her left knee in another crash. Even before then, all eyes had been on her as the feel-good story heading into the Olympics for her comeback after nearly six years of retirement.

In her latest post, Vonn said she is “very much immobile but I have a lot of friends and family that have been coming to visit.”

“I feel very lucky and fortunate to have so many people around me that have really helped me get through this so I just wanted to say thank you and go Team USA,” Vonn said. “It’s so great to watch and really lifted my spirits. Good job, team, and keep crushing it. I’ll check in with you guys when I can.”

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AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics