A positive update on Lindsey Vonn’s condition has emerged, with reports stating that she has been ‘discharged’ from hospital following her crash at the Winter Olympics.
The 41-year-old, who tore her ACL prior to the Games, had to be airlifted from the snow after her right arm was hooked in one of the gates during her descent. Initially taken to a hospital in Cortina, she was transferred to Ca’ Foncello Hospital in Treviso after it emerged that she had suffered a complex tibia fracture.
Vonn has since had multiple surgeries to help her recover, although a surgeon had warned the Team USA athlete that she now faces months of waiting until she can walk again. Even mentioning the potential risk of amputation, Vonn issued an emotional update on Friday where she clarified that she was set to have her fourth surgery.
Winter Olympics: Doctor Shares Horrific Images of ‘Lindsey Vonn’s Injury’
Lindsey Vonn has undergone three surgeries since her horror crash at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
She said: “I’m finally feeling more like myself, but I have a long, long way to go. Tomorrow, I’ll have another surgery and, hopefully, that goes well, then I can potentially leave and go back home, at which point I will need another surgery.”
Vonn ‘Discharged’ After Successful Fourth Surgery
On Sunday, ESPN reported that Vonn was preparing to return to the US following a successful fourth surgery on her leg. Sophie Goldschmidt, the president and CEO of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association, had told Associated Press that the athlete was set to have additional operations once she returns.
She said: “We’re working through all of that at the moment. We’ve got a great team around helping her, and she’ll go back to the U.S. for further surgeries.”
Since then, Reuters have reported that two sources close to the situation have informed them that the skier has since been ‘discharged’ from hospital and was now heading to Treviso airport.
Vonn Hints at Skiing Return in Latest Statement
Vonn herself had issued a statement on Instagram on Saturday evening to confirm that her most recent surgery had been a success, stating: “Surgery went well today! Thankfully, I will be able to finally go back to the US! Once I’m back I will give you more updates and info about my injury.”
The three-time Olympic medallist then went on to address some of the comments she had seen regarding her crash, stating that she had no regrets over her decision to compete.
“I have been reading a lot of messages and comments saying that what has happened to me makes them sad. Please, don’t be sad. Empathy, love and support I welcome with an open heart, but please not sadness or sympathy. I hope instead it gives you strength to keep fighting, because that is what I am doing and that is what I will continue to do. Always.
“When I think back on my crash, I didn’t stand in the starting gate unaware of the potential consequences. I knew what I was doing. I chose to take a risk. Every skier in that starting gate took the same risk. Because even if you are the strongest person in the world, the mountain always holds the cards.
“I was willing to risk and push and sacrifice for something I knew I was absolutely capable of doing. I will always take the risk of crashing while giving it my all, rather than not ski to my potential and have regret. I never want to cross finish line and say,“what if?”
“And to be perfectly honest, I was stronger physically in that moment than I have been often in the past. Certainly stronger than I was when I ended career in 2019 where I got a bronze medal in the World Championships. And mentally…. Mentally I was perfect. Clear, focused, hungry, aggressive yet completely calm… just as I had practiced over the past few months when I was on the podium in every downhill this season. 2 wins and leading the standings… that was all a test to prepare me for the Olympics. Mentally, I was more ready than I have ever been.
“But just because I was ready, that didn’t guarantee me anything. Nothing in life is guaranteed. That’s the gamble of chasing your dreams, you might fall but if you don’t try you’ll never know.”
At the end of her statement, though, Vonn then said that she was targeting a return to skiing following her recovery: “The ride was worth the fall. When I close my eyes at night I don’t have regrets and the love I have for skiing remains.
“I am still looking forward to the moment when I can stand on the top of the mountain once more. And I will.”
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