American skier Lindsey Vonn announced that her leg might have been amputated after an injury at the Milan-2026 Olympics. Vonn fell during the downhill race at the Games and was evacuated from the track by helicopter.
Screengrab by IOC via Getty Images
— I have a complex fracture of the tibia and a fracture of the head of the fibula — everything there was shattered into pieces. The situation was complicated by compartment syndrome. This is when too much blood accumulates in one part of the body with such an extensive injury — and it gets 'stuck.' Essentially, everything stops working: muscles, nerves. Everything starts to die. That's why Dr. Tom Hackett saved my leg. Saved it from amputation.
He performed a fasciotomy: he cut my left leg from two sides to allow it to 'breathe.' That's how the doctor saved my leg. Moreover, he might not have been there at all if I hadn't torn my cruciate ligament earlier — he wouldn't have been accompanying me. And he wouldn't have been able to save my leg at that moment. This goes to show that nothing in life happens just like that.
Lindsey Vonn's Instagram
I spent more time in the hospital than I expected because my hemoglobin level dropped significantly — due to blood loss after the surgeries. I received blood transfusions, and that helped a lot. At one point, the pain was terrible, uncontrollable.
I've finally been discharged, for now I'm in a wheelchair. I'll only be able to move around like this for some time, as my right ankle is also broken. I hope to switch to crutches soon — I'll use them for a couple more months.
I can't express how painful all of this was. This is not how I wanted to finish the Olympics. But there's nothing left but to accept fate's blows. This one, admittedly, sent me into a knockout. But I'm like Rocky — I'll still get up, — sports.ru quotes Vonn.
Lindsey Vonn tore the anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee during a World Cup stage in Switzerland on January 30. Despite such a severe injury, the 41-year-old American dared to compete at the Olympics, where she fell during the first downhill run.
Lindsey is one of the most decorated female skiers in history. In the autumn of 2024, she returned to the sport after a five-year break and a knee joint replacement in her left leg.
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