Lindsey Vonn is in intensive care after a catastrophic crash during the women’s downhill skiing event at the Winter Olympics in Cortina, having undergone surgery for a left-leg fracture, as described by MailOnline.
The incident occurred just 13 seconds into her run on Sunday, when the 41-year-old American, rounding the second corner, caught a gate with her right side while in the air, as shown in a photograph from AP. The force of the collision seemingly snapped the marker, causing her to tumble with a 180-degree rotation before a heavy impact where her right leg hit the ground first, followed by her shoulder.
Vonn, the 2010 Olympic champion who had returned to competition after a six-year hiatus, was airlifted off the mountain after medical crews attended to her on the slope. Distressing scenes saw her wincing in pain with skis still attached, crying out as she was placed on a stretcher, prompting organisers to play background music over her cries.
The US Ski and Snowboard Team stated on X that Vonn sustained an injury but was in stable condition, adding that she later had surgery on the fracture. Reuters reported on Monday that she underwent two operations for what they described as a ‘serious leg fracture’, performed by a joint team of local orthopaedic and plastic surgeons to prevent complications linked to swelling and blood flow; Italian surgeons led the procedures with her personal doctor present.
Her transfer to intensive care was for extra privacy rather than greater medical necessity, according to understanding. The hospital in Treviso had not previously mentioned a second operation.
Vonn’s crash led to the suspension of the downhill event, with other competitors removing their skis at the top of the slope while awaiting her evacuation. Her coach was heard shouting “keep charging, keep pushing” as she left the gates.
The accident came only nine days after she ruptured the ACL in her left knee in a training run ahead of the Games, and following a reconstruction in her right knee in 2024. Despite these injuries, Vonn had decided to compete, having completed multiple training runs; on Friday, she posted a time 1.39 seconds off the fastest, and on Saturday, she recorded one minute and 38 seconds, 37 seconds shy of team-mate Breezy Johnson, who went on to claim gold on Sunday.
International Ski Federation President Johan Eliasch said the decision to compete was up to the individual, calling the accident “incredibly unlucky” and a “one in a thousand” occurrence where she got stuck in the gate while in the air. BBC pundit Chemmy Alcott expressed distress at the scenes, noting the high risk given her physical condition.
Vonn, who has won 84 World Cups across alpine skiing events, had defied the odds to return after her ACL rupture, with the Cortina crowd falling silent during the incident.
