Lindsey Vonn's Leg Saved from Amputation After Olympic Crash

Vonn says post-crash surgery saved her leg

US ski great Lindsey Vonn reveals surgery saved her leg from amputation after horrific crash at Milano Cortina Olympics. Lindsey Vonn undergoes multiple surgeries after crashing during women's downhill at 2026 Winter Olympics.

“It has been quite the journey and by far the most extreme and painful and challenging injury...”

Lindsey Vonn, the 41-year-old US ski great, has revealed she nearly had her left leg amputated after a horrific crash during the women's downhill at the Milano Cortina Olympics. The crash, which occurred just 13 seconds into the race, led to compartment syndrome, a condition where excessive trauma causes pressure buildup inside a muscle group, restricting blood flow.

Vonn credited Dr. Tom Hackett, an orthopedic surgeon, with saving her leg through a procedure called fasciotomy, where he “filleted” her leg open to relieve pressure. She underwent multiple surgeries and required a blood transfusion due to blood loss. Vonn is now out of hospital and hopes to progress from a wheelchair to crutches in a few weeks.

Lindsey Vonn credited Dr. Tom Hackett, who works for Team USA, with saving her leg from amputation. “He saved my leg from being amputated,” she said, adding that Dr. Hackett was only in Cortina because she was competing shortly after tearing the ACL in her left knee.

Vonn explained that she suffered severe injuries, including a broken tibia, fibular head, and tibial plateau. Dr. Hackett performed a fasciotomy, a procedure where he “cut open both sides of my leg, kind of filleted it open, so to speak, let it breathe. And he saved me.”

Vonn, wearing a knee brace, lost control after clipping a gate with her shoulder, sending her flying off course. She crashed at high speed, ending up in a crumpled heap, screaming in pain.

The horrific crash sparked gasps from fans and teammates, leaving the packed finish area in stunned silence. Vonn underwent four surgeries in Italy before returning to the US for a six-hour operation.

“It has been quite the journey and by far the most extreme and painful and challenging injury I've ever faced in my entire life, times 100,” Vonn said.

Lindsey Vonn shared that she broke her right ankle in the crash and underwent multiple surgeries, leading to a longer hospital stay than expected. She struggled with “very low hemoglobin” due to blood loss from the surgeries, describing her pain as “a little bit out of control.”

Thankful to be out of the hospital 🙏🏻 pic.twitter.com/WOYKensxXn

— lindsey vonn (@lindseyvonn) February 23, 2026

Vonn received a blood transfusion, which helped her turn the corner. She's currently focusing on rehab, aiming to progress from a wheelchair to crutches in a few weeks. Her recovery timeline is estimated to be around a year for the bones to heal, after which she'll decide on further surgery to fix her ACL.

“But I'm going to get right to work on rehab and see what I can do and take it one step at a time, like I always do,” said Vonn. “But it's been - I can't tell ⁠you how painful it's been. It's been ⁠really hard. And it was definitely ‌not the way I wanted to end my Olympics.”