On 8 February 2026, American skier Lindsey Vonn crashed during the women’s downhill event at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympic Games, and just four weeks on she is already back in the gym despite undergoing multiple surgeries.
The 41-year-old had already entered the Winter Olympic Games having ruptured ligaments in her left knee just nine days before the competition.
Despite this, she competed in Italy only to sustain another gruesome injury, this time to her leg and ankle, when she crashed on to the piste before being airlifted to hospital.
The skier broke her leg and needed several corrective surgeries on a tibia fracture.
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While recovering in hospital, Vonn posted regular updates on social media and in one claimed that Dr Tom Hackett “saved” her leg “from being amputated”.
“He cut open both sides of my leg, so it was open and let it breathe, so to speak,” she said during a video posted to Instagram last month.
“He saved me.”
In late February, Vonn returned to the US after undergoing four surgeries in Italy. The skiing legend explained that she would be limited to using a wheelchair while she recovers from the ordeal.
The three-time Olympic medallist has already hinted that it may take around a year for her bones to heal.
Vonn explained: “Then I will decide if I want to take out all the metal or not, and then go back into surgery and finally fix my ACL.”
But despite suffering a truly horrific injury, Vonn appears to be recovering well and, surprisingly, has already returned to the gym.
On Thursday (5 March), she posted a video of herself working out despite her leg being heavily plastered.
At one point, she rises from her wheelchair to an upright position, while another segment shows her working on her abs and legs.
The American captioned the post: “Definitely some hard times, but still thankful… still working hard. The only goal is to get healthy. One day at a time.”
Fans poured in with messages of support in the comments section.
One said: “The stand-up made me cry! So proud of you!!”
Another added: “Get well soon, and thank God you didn't lose your leg.”
While a third claimed: “She is a warrior.”
Topics: Injury
Luke Davies