Share to ClassroomVonn Uncertain After Serious Olympic Injury
American skier Lindsey Vonn was badly injured at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics in February 2026. She fell 13 seconds into the women's downhill race and broke her left leg. The injury was so serious that doctors nearly had to remove her leg. She has had eight operations since then and needs at least one more on her knee before she can start getting better. She says she is not ready to decide if she will stop racing.
Vonn had come back to skiing after six years away from the sport. She was doing very well and was leading the World Cup downhill rankings when she had her accident. Her father said publicly that she should retire, but Vonn disagreed. She said that when someone tells her not to do something, she wants to do it even more.
Vonn is slowly recovering. She has moved from a wheelchair to crutches and hopes to walk short distances without help soon. Doctors say she needs knee surgery and at least six months of rehabilitation before she could race again. The earliest she could return is the 2027-28 season. Vonn has won 84 World Cup races, the second highest total in women's skiing history. She says she is still in survival mode and just wants to get through this difficult time.
