Lindsey Vonn has revealed that her left leg almost needed to be amputated as she shed light on the injuries suffered whilst competing at this month's Olympic Games in Milan-Cortina.

The 41-year-old American suffered a complex tibia fracture while competing in the women's downhill skiing final in Cortina, with the accident taking place just 13 seconds into the run as she crashed on the piste.

After clipping a slalom gate while midair, the three-time Olympic medalist later confirmed that she would need "multiple surgeries" following the accident.

Vonn, who had already ruptured her ACL in a crash at a World Cup race on January 30 but was deemed fit to compete, released a lengthy statement on February 9 as she offered an update on her condition.

"Yesterday my Olympic dream did not finish the way I dreamt it would," she said on Instagram. "It wasn't a story book ending or a fairy tale, it was just life."

Vonn has since undergone several surgeries, and on Monday (February 23), she credited Dr. Tom Hackett, the team physician for the U.S. Snowboard Team, with saving her leg on the operating table.

“Dr Tom Hackett saved my leg, he saved my leg from being amputated," said Vonn. "He did what is called a fasciotomy, where he cut open both sides of my leg, let it breathe, and he saved me.”

“I always talk about everything happening for a reason," she added. "If I hadn't torn my ACL, which I would have done anyway in this crash, Tom [Hackett] wouldn't have been there, he wouldn't have been able to save my leg."

The American, who says it will take around a year for the bones in her leg to heal, also revealed that she will be in a wheelchair for "a while" because she also broke her right ankle in the crash.

“It has been quite the journey and by far the most extreme and painful and challenging injury I’ve ever faced in my entire life, times 100,” Vonn added. "It’s been really hard, and it was definitely not the way I wanted to end my Olympics.”

Lindsey Vonn's father makes feelings clear following crash

Alan Kildow, the father of Lindsey Vonn, has suggested that his daughter will no longer compete following her leg break at the Winter Olympics.

He believes now is the right time for his daughter to walk away from the sport.

"She's 41 years old and this is the end of her career," Kildow told The Associated Press. "There will be no more ski races for Lindsey Vonn, as long as I have anything to say about it."

He added: "She's a very strong individual. She knows physical pain and she understands the circumstances that she finds herself in. And she's able to handle it. Better than I expected. She's a very, very strong person. And so I think she's handling it real well."