On November 9, Vonn, 42, is heading into what’s slated to be the final surgery on her left leg following her severe crash during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics in February. In an exclusive interview with Forbes, the alpine skier detailed her upcoming surgery. In February 2026, Vonn started the Olympic downhill race despite rupturing the ACL in her left knee just days earlier.
After taking an aggressive line through the first few turns, Vonn clipped a gate just 13.4 seconds into her run, pushing her off course at the Tofane Alpine Skiing area. The impact sent her spinning through the air before she crashed onto the icy surface, ending her race. Vonn was eventually airlifted to a hospital and diagnosed with complex fractures of the two bones in her lower left leg.
Doctors put three plates and up to 20 screws in her leg, but couldn’t fix her ACL until her bones healed properly, she told Parade. In the weeks following her initial surgery, Vonn shared that her injuries were so severe that she had to undergo an emergency fasciotomy, a procedure used to treat acute compartment syndrome. This potentially life-threatening condition occurs when pressure builds up around muscle groups, restricting blood flow or damaging muscles, tendons, and fascia.
Colorado-based surgeon Dr. Tomas Hackett performed the complicated operation that saved her left leg from being amputated. In a video shared to Instagram, the ski champion is sailing on a hydrofoil, writing that the event “was a big step in my recovery that made me incredibly happy.
It may not have been snow but … it was one step closer to skiing.” “I know I won’t be doing this, or much else, for quite some time after this next surgery, but I know I’ll get back to it,” she continued. In 2010, Vonn became the first American woman to win Olympic gold in downhill skiing. Wherever she winds up, whether it’s slopeside or downhill, Vonn will always be our favorite comeback story.
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