Lindsey Vonn Says Olympic Crash Nearly Cost Her a Leg

Follow Drugslib on

By HealthDay Staff HealthDay Reporter

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on Feb 25, 2026.

via HealthDay

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 25, 2026 — Olympic ski star Lindsey Vonn says a serious crash at the Milan Cortina Olympics nearly cost her a left leg.

In an Instagram post shared Monday, the 41-year-old skier revealed that her injuries were far worse than first reported after she crashed during the women’s downhill event on Feb. 8, just 13 seconds into her run.

After clipping a gate and flying off course, Vonn suffered a complex fracture of her left tibia. But she later learned the trauma caused a dangerous condition called compartment syndrome, which can cut off blood flow and permanently damage muscles if not treated quickly, The Associated Press reported.

“When you have so much trauma to one area of your body so that there’s too much blood and it gets stuck and it basically crushes everything,” Vonn said.

Vonn credited Dr. Tom Hackett, an orthopedic surgeon for Team USA, with saving her leg by performing an emergency procedure known as a fasciotomy, which relieves pressure inside the muscle.

“He filleted it open (and) let it breathe, and he saved me,” she said.

Vonn said Hackett was only in Cortina because she was already being treated for a torn ACL in her left knee, an injury she suffered shortly before the Olympics.

“If I hadn’t had done that, Tom wouldn’t have been there (and he) wouldn’t have been able to save my leg,” she said.

Vonn was hospitalized for about a week in Treviso, Italy, where she underwent multiple surgeries.

She said her leg was “in pieces” after the crash and that she struggled with pain and heavy blood loss, requiring a blood transfusion to raise her hemoglobin levels.

She also broke her right ankle during the fall.

“It has been quite the journey and by far the most extreme and painful and challenging injury I’ve ever faced in my entire life times 100,” Vonn said.

Now discharged from the hospital, Vonn said she is confined to a wheelchair and slowly working toward using crutches.

She expects it will take about a year for the bones in her left leg to heal. Only after that will doctors be able to repair her torn ACL.

“It’s going to be a long road,” she said. “I always fight and we keep going.”

Despite the severity of her injuries, Vonn said she has no regrets about returning to competition after a six-year retirement or racing at the Olympics while injured.

“I wish it had ended differently, but I’d rather go down swinging than not try at all,” she said. “This year was incredible and so worth everything.”

She described the crash as “one blip on the radar,” adding that she plans to keep moving forward.

“Life is life and we have to take the punches that come,” Vonn said. “Going to do the best I can with this one. It really knocked me down. But I’m like Rocky. I’ll just keep getting back up.”

Sources

  • The Associated Press, Feb. 23, 2026

    • Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

    Source: HealthDay

    Posted : 2026-02-26 02:01

    Read more

    Disclaimer

    Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Drugslib.com is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Drugslib.com information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Drugslib.com does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Drugslib.com's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Drugslib.com's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners.

    The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Drugslib.com does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Drugslib.com provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

    Popular Keywords