US Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn revealed Monday that Sunday's downhill crash left her with a complex tibia bone fracture, requiring multiple surgeries to repair.
The 41-year-old posted the update to Instagram from her hospital room in Treviso, Italy, where she's been recovering since being airlifted off the course in Cortina.
During the crash, Vonn's right arm caught the inside of a gate while she skied five inches too tight on her line, twisting her body and sending her to the ground. In the post, she pushed back against suggestions that her pre-existing injuries played a role, stating her recent ACL tear had nothing to do with the fall.
Vonn tore her left ACL just days before the 2026 Winter Olympics. She chose to compete anyway, subsequently sustaining the tibia bone injury in the same leg. The hospital confirmed Sunday night that she underwent surgery and remains in stable condition.
Despite the fracture's severity, Vonn expressed no regrets regarding her decision to race. She described standing at the start as a victory in itself, and acknowledged the sport's inherent dangers.
Her father, Alan Kildow, took a harder stance.
"She's 41 years old, and this is the end of her career," he told The Associated Press. "There will be no more ski races for Lindsey Vonn, as long as I have anything to say about it."
Kildow and several family members, including Vonn's brother and two sisters, remain by her side in Italy.
Vonn will not return to the Winter Olympics in any capacity, her father confirmed.
The tibia bone is the larger of the two bones in the lower leg. It bears most of the body's weight during athletic activity, making complex fractures particularly difficult to repair and slow to heal.
