Lindsey Vonn broke her silence Monday following a devastating crash in the Olympic alpine downhill, making it clear she does not second-guess her decision to compete despite intense scrutiny. The American skiing legend suffered a fractured left leg that required surgery after crashing just 13 seconds into her run on the Tofane slope at Cortina d’Ampezzo. She had already been racing with a torn ACL in the same leg, an injury sustained in a World Cup event on January 30, which fueled debate over whether she should have been on the course at all.
In a candid Instagram post, Vonn emphasized that she has “no regrets” and rejected the idea that her ACL injury played any role in the crash. She explained that downhill skiing operates on razor-thin margins, where even a few inches can separate a clean run from a catastrophic accident. According to Vonn, she was simply too tight on her line, causing her right arm to hook inside a gate and violently twist her off balance at high speed. She shared a photo illustrating how her arm caught the gate, reinforcing her claim that the incident had nothing to do with her knee.
Vonn Faces Career-Ending Injury While Accepting Risks of Elite Downhill Racing
Vonn described her injury as a complex tibia fracture that will require multiple surgeries. While acknowledging that her Olympic dream did not end as she had envisioned, she framed the outcome as an unavoidable reality of elite downhill racing rather than a reckless gamble. Her message was reflective rather than defensive, underscoring that she knowingly accepted the risks inherent in the sport she has spent her life mastering.
Lindsey VonnThe 41-year-old did not address her future plans, but the severity of the injury is widely expected to end her competitive career. Earlier in the day, her father, Alan Kildow, told the Associated Press that he hopes she retires. If so, Vonn would leave the sport as one of its most accomplished athletes, with a legacy that few can match.
Lindsey Vonn’s Legendary Career and Remarkable Comeback End in Olympic Crash
Vonn is a three-time Olympic medalist, capturing downhill gold and super-G bronze at the 2010 Vancouver Games, followed by downhill bronze at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics. Her World Cup résumé includes 84 victories, along with 38 silver and 23 bronze medals across six disciplines, plus world championships in downhill and super-G in 2009.
After retiring in 2019, Vonn made a remarkable return in 2024 following a knee replacement, defying age expectations in a discipline dominated by athletes in their 20s. She proved she could still contend, finishing second in a World Cup super-G in January and entering the Olympics viewed as a legitimate medal threat. Her crash brought that comeback to a painful end, but Vonn’s response made one thing clear: she stands by her choice to chase the dream one last time.
