Featured Image Credit: Getty
Topics: Olympics
Ryan Smart
Lindsey Vonn suffered a fractured left leg as a result of her horror crash in the women's downhill final at the Winter Olympics, the hospital treating her have stated.
Vonn crashed out of the women's downhill event in Cortina after her right ski pole clipped an outside gate shortly before the first timing point.
The contact forced the 2010 Olympic champion off balance, and resulted in her hitting the ground hard before tumbling down the course.
She was subsequently airlifted to hospital via medical helicopter after receiving treatment on-site.
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Vonn was attempting to become the oldest skier, man or woman, to win an Olympic medal in alpine skiing.
The 41-year-old had already made the remarkable decision to compete in the downhill final just nine days after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in her left knee during a crash at a World Cup event.
After her crash on Sunday, the US Ski and Snowboard Team issued a statement confirming that Vonn was in a 'stable condition' and undergoing treatment.
She was transported to the Ca' Foncello Hospital in Cortina, with Sky Sports reporter Geraint Thomas claiming there were initial concerns that she may have to be airlifted to a bigger facility near the city of Verona.
The hospital have now released a statement confirming that Vonn has undergone an 'orthopaedic operation' to a stabilise a left leg fracture.
They add that she is being treated by a 'multidisciplinary team'.
Chief of sport for US Ski and Snowboard, Anouk Patty, has stated that Vonn will be 'OK' but anticipates a lengthy recovery process for the skiing legend.
"She'll be OK, but it's going to be a bit of a process," Patty told reporters.
"This sport's brutal and people need to remember when they're watching, these athletes are throwing themselves down a mountain and going really, really fast."
Vonn's US team-mate, Breezy Johnson, won gold in the women's downhill after the event was paused for around 20 minutes following the crash.
She told reporters that, according to her coach, Vonn had been 'cheering for me' from the medical helicopter.
"Her coach said she was cheering for me in the helicopter, so I hope for the best for her," Johnson said (via People).
"I hope that it's not too bad. My heart aches for her. It's such a brutal sport sometimes.
"It can hurt you so badly but you keep coming back for more."