Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, February 10, 2026: Skiing icon Lindsey Vonn has spoken publicly for the first time through an Instagram post since her heartbreaking crash at the 2026 Winter Olympics on February 8, 2026. She told fans that she has “no regrets” despite sustaining a serious leg injury that may require multiple surgeries.
The 41-year-old American broke her silence on Monday, February 9, just hours after being airlifted from the slopes of Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, where she crashed during the women’s downhill skiing final. She was evacuated by helicopter and taken to a hospital in northern Italy, where doctors confirmed she had suffered a complex fracture of the tibia.
The crash occurred just 13.4 seconds into her run when Vonn’s right ski pole caught on a course marker, causing her to lose balance. She tumbled through the air multiple times before landing on the mountain. She could be heard screaming “Oh my God” in pain as medical teams rushed to her aid.
Vonn was placed on a stretcher and airlifted from the course, while a stunned crowd watched in silence from below.
Vonn’s decision to compete at the Winter Olympics had already drawn immense attention. Just nine days earlier, she had completely ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee during a World Cup race, yet chose to race in Cortina wearing a knee brace. Vonn later clarified that the torn ACL did not contribute to the crash itself.
The 2010 Olympic gold medalist had previously said that the location played a major role in her decision to return to competitive skiing.
“Honestly, I don’t know if I would have done this if it wasn’t at Cortina,” she admitted. “It’s where I got my first podium [placing third at the 2004 World Cup]. I also broke the women’s World Cup record there.”
Of Vonn’s 84 career World Cup victories, 12 came on Cortina’s slopes, making it her most successful venue.
The U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team later confirmed in a post on X that Vonn was in “stable condition and in good hands with a team of American and Italian physicians.”
Her sister, Karin Kildow, who watched the race from the spectator stands, described the moment as “scary” but acknowledged that the family understood the risks.
“It’s a very dangerous sport, and there are a lot of variables at play,” Kildow told NBC. “She put her whole heart into it, and sometimes things happen.”
In her first public comments since the accident, Vonn shared a heartfelt message with her followers, reflecting on what happened and what it meant for her journey.
“Yesterday my Olympic dream did not finish the way I dreamt it would,” Vonn wrote. “It wasn’t a storybook ending or a fairy tale it was just life.”
She explained that a difference of just a few inches in her racing line led to the gate contact that triggered the crash, emphasizing how unforgiving elite downhill skiing can be.
“The difference between a strategic line and a catastrophic injury can be as small as five inches,” she revealed. “I was simply five inches too tight on my line when my right arm hooked inside the gate, twisting me and resulting in my crash.”
She revealed that she sustained a complex tibia fracture, which is currently stable but will require multiple surgeries to repair fully.
Despite the seriousness of her injury and the intense physical pain, Vonn maintained a positive outlook.
“While yesterday did not end the way I had hoped, and despite the intense physical pain it caused, I have no regrets,” she stated.
She described standing at the starting gate as “an incredible feeling that I will never forget,” adding that “knowing I stood there having a chance to win was a victory in and of itself.”
Once she was in the air, the torn ACL had nothing to do with the force going through the leg.Dr. Brian Sutterer, Sports Medicine Physician
Sports Medicine Physician Dr. Brian Sutterer analyzed footage of Vonn’s crash on his YouTube channel, describing it as a complex tibia fracture that is much more severe than a simple broken bone. The tibia, or shinbone, is a major weight-bearing bone surrounded by muscle compartments, nerves, and blood vessels. In high-energy trauma such as an Olympic downhill crash, the force transmitted through the leg can cause the bone to fracture while also damaging surrounding soft tissue.
Dr. Sutterer suggests that Vonn’s ski became momentarily planted in the snow while her body continued moving downhill. This created a powerful ground reaction force that bent the tibia backward and then forward, consistent with a high-energy tibial shaft fracture.
The term “complex” indicates that the fracture may involve multiple fragments and significant soft tissue injury. It also raises concern for complications such as compromised blood flow and swelling within the muscle compartments of the lower leg.
“You don’t get moved to the ICU, and you don’t need multiple surgeries with multiple specialists, especially plastic surgeons, for a simple lower-extremity fracture.”
Reports confirming the involvement of both orthopedic and plastic surgeons point to efforts to stabilize the limb and protect blood supply to the surrounding tissues. Dr. Sutterer explained that in severe tibial injuries, surgeons sometimes perform staged procedures. An initial surgery stabilizes the bone, while subsequent operations address swelling, tissue damage, or the risk of compartment syndrome.
“When somebody has a tibial shaft fracture like this, you’re at very high risk of developing compartment syndrome.”
Compartment syndrome is a dangerous condition in which swelling increases pressure inside the muscle compartments, cutting off blood flow and potentially leading to muscle and nerve death. Preventing this complication often requires urgent surgical intervention and prolonged monitoring, which explains why Vonn’s recovery is expected to be lengthy.
Beyond updating fans on her condition, Vonn used her platform to inspire others to pursue their dreams fearlessly.
“I also knew that racing was a risk. It always was and always will be an incredibly dangerous sport,” she acknowledged. “And similar to ski racing, we take risks in life. We dream. We love. We jump. And sometimes we fall. Sometimes our hearts are broken. Sometimes we don’t achieve the dreams we know we could have. But that is also the beauty of life — we can try.”
Encouraging her followers to act boldly, Vonn added:
“I hope if you take away anything from my journey, it’s that you all have the courage to dare greatly. Life is too short not to take chances on yourself, because the only failure in life is not trying.”
She concluded her message with words of gratitude and support: “I believe in you, just as you believed in me.”
American skier Breezy Johnson went on to win gold in the downhill event. Speaking after her victory, Johnson said, “My heart goes out to her. I hope it’s not as bad as it looked, and I know how difficult it is to ski this course.”
Johnson herself had missed the 2022 Winter Olympics after crashing on the same Cortina course and injuring her knee.
Vonn, who started 13th, did not finish the race. The crash is widely expected to mark the final competitive start of her storied career, though no formal retirement announcement has been made.
(Rh/VK/MSM)