Vonn Faces Uncertain Future After Olympic Crash
American alpine skier Lindsey Vonn says she is deeply unsure about whether she will ever race again, after a severe leg injury at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics in February 2026. She fell just 13 seconds into the women's downhill event and broke her tibia in a complex fracture that came close to requiring amputation. Since then, she has had eight surgeries— nearly as many as in her whole previous career— and still needs at least one more operation to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) , a major knee ligament. Vonn told the Associated Press she is not emotionally ready to decide on retirement.
The accident cut short what had been an impressive comeback. Vonn had returned to competition after six years away, and she was leading the World Cup downhill standings at the time of her crash. She described the pain from this injury as far worse than anything she had felt before. Her father, Alan Kildow, publicly stated she should retire, but Vonn rejected his view. She made clear that being told not to do something only makes her more determined to continue.
Vonn's recovery is moving forward, though more slowly than she had hoped. She has progressed from using a wheelchair to crutches and expects to walk short distances without support soon. Her doctors have not yet discussed a return to racing with her, but she has outlined a realistic minimum timeline: ACL surgery followed by at least six months of rehabilitation means she could not return before the 2027-28 season. The holder of 84 World Cup wins— second on the all-time women's list behind Mikaela Shiffrin's 110— says she remains focused on getting through her recovery one step at a time.