CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy – Lindsey Vonn is about to leave for home.
Vonn posted on Instagram on Saturday, February 14, that her third surgery was going well and will allow her to return to the United States. Vonn said in a post on Friday, February 13, that she will need additional surgery to repair a complex tibial fracture once she returns to the United States.
advertise
Vonn also reiterated that despite her Olympics ending in a horrific car crash, she has no regrets.
“The experience was worth it,” Vaughan wrote. “When I close my eyes at night, I have no regrets and the love for skiing is still there. I still look forward to the moment when I can stand on the top of a mountain again. I will.”
What happened to Lindsey Vonn?
Vaughn hooked her right arm around the fourth door, which sent her spinning and hurtling into the hard-packed snow. She rolled several times from start to finish before coming to a stop.
“Things happen so fast in this sport,” U.S. teammate Bella Wright said after the game. “It looked like Lindsay was incredibly fast on that turn and she hooked the arm and that was the end of it.”
advertise
The three-time Olympic medalist remained lying in the snow and could be heard crying in agony. The gasps and moans from fans faded into a shocking silence as paramedics worked on her. Vaughan remained on the flight path for about 13 minutes before being loaded onto the helicopter.
How is Lindsey Vonn’s injury?
In a Feb. 9 Instagram post, Vonn shared the devastating news: She suffered a complex tibia fracture that required multiple surgeries. The 41-year-old gave fans an update after undergoing her third surgery in Italy on February 11, and included some chilling photos from her recovery process. On February 13, Vonn posted after another surgery that she had more surgeries to go.
“It was a pretty rough few days in the hospital. I’m finally feeling more like myself, but I still have a long way to go,” Vaughn said. “Tomorrow, I’ll have another surgery and hopefully everything goes well. Then I’ll probably leave and go home, at which point I’ll need another surgery. I don’t know exactly what’s going to happen until I get better imaging.”
advertise
A tibial fracture is a fracture of the tibia that is an emergency and requires immediate treatment. “The tibia is one of the strongest bones in the body. It usually takes a lot of force to break a bone,” the Cleveland Clinic says. “If you fracture your tibia, you may not be able to stand, walk, or put weight on your leg.”
A complex fracture involves multiple fractures of the bone and damage to the soft tissue, according to Yale University Medical Center. Symptoms include extreme pain, numbness, and sometimes bone protruding from the skin. Treatment includes stabilization and surgery.
Lindsey Vonn car accident video
NBC televised the Olympics and released video of Vaughn’s crash.
advertise
USA TODAY Sports’ Samantha Cardona-Norberg reports on Lindsted Vaughn’s crash following the crash.
Fans fell silent immediately after Vonn’s crash, reacting with shock, sadness and later support as a helicopter lifted her into the sky. USA TODAY Sports spoke with some fans after the incident.
Is Lindsey Vonn okay?
After the crash, Vaughn was in significant pain but was moving her arms, head and neck.
About 18 minutes after the crash, the helicopter began its slow flight to Cortina. “Let Lindsey Vonn hear us!” the American announcer said as the helicopter flew away with her and the crowd cheered.
advertise
Vaughn’s sister, Karin Kildow, took part in the downhill course today and told NBC reporters on the live broadcast:
“I mean, it’s definitely the last thing we want to see, and it happens so quickly, when that happens you immediately hope she’s okay. It’s scary because when you start seeing stretchers being brought out, it’s not a good sign,” Kildow said. “But she’s really…she’s just very bold and she puts it all out there. So it’s hard to see, but we really hope she’s OK.
“All of her surgeons, physical therapy staff and doctors are here, so I’m sure they’ll give us a report and we’ll meet with her at the hospital where she is.”
Lindsey Vonn torn ACL
It was the second time in as many weeks that Vaughn had flown off the mountaintop in a helicopter. On January 30, during her last World Cup race before the Olympics, she was involved in a downhill accident that completely ruptured her left anterior cruciate ligament, damaged her meniscus and bruised her bones.
advertise
Vaughn also had partial replacement surgery on his right knee. Before the accident, she was dominating the sport, finishing on the podium in all five downhill races this season and winning two of them.
Despite her recent injury, Vonn is determined to compete in her fifth and final Olympics. She said her knee feels stable and strong, and she spent the last week doing intense rehab, pool workouts, weightlifting and plyometrics. She competed in two training sessions and had the third fastest time in the second session, which was canceled due to fog and snow.
Lindsey Vonn Olympic History
Vonn, 41, is skiing in his fifth Winter Olympics (2002, 2006, 2010, 2018, 2026). She won three Olympic medals (1 gold, 2 bronze).
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Lindsey Vonn injury update, surgery, Olympics crash, return to U.S.