Lindsey Vonn was already competing on a ruptured ACL, but unfortunately more injuries were to follow.
Lindsey Vonn injuries, explained: What we know about USA skier's condition after breaking leg at Olympics originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Long before Lindsey Vonn's first official competition at the 2026 Winter Olympics, her health was in the spotlight.
Making a skiing comeback at age 41 to return to the Olympic stage, Vonn, who has a long history of knee injuries, confirmed she had suffered a torn ACL just about a week before the opening ceremony in Milan. But she made the decision to participate anyway, going through trial runs for downhill races on that torn ACL Friday and Saturday.
However, things took a turn for the worse on Sunday, Feb. 8, the day of Vonn's first Olympic competition, when she crashed after clipping a flag with her right shoulder on the slopes, putting her status at the Winter Games in even more serious peril.
Here's what's known about Lindsey Vonn's injuries and the latest on her condition.
MORE: Latest Lindsey Vonn crash updates
Did Lindsey Vonn break her leg?
It has not yet been confirmed by Vonn's team or the U.S. Ski team, but CBC and Reuters reported on Sunday that the star skier did, in fact, suffer a left leg fracture during her crash at Milan.
Vonn's previous torn ACL was also to her left leg. Yahoo Sports and The Associated Press also reported that the Treviso hospital released a statement confirming Vonn underwent surgery for a left leg fracture — which, medically, is the same as a broken leg.
"In the afternoon, she underwent orthopedic surgery to stabilize the fracture sustained in her left leg," the Ca’ Foncello Hospital said in a statement.
CBC’s Brian Stemmle gives an update on Lindsey Vonn’s condition after crashing at #MilanoCortina2026
— CBC Olympics (@CBCOlympics) February 8, 2026
According to Reuters, Vonn had surgery on a left leg fracture and is being monitored in the ICU https://t.co/9v9kpQjArMpic.twitter.com/QtrZjw522h
MORE: Full timeline of Lindsey Vonn's surgeries and comebacks
What is Lindsey Vonn's condition?
As of Sunday afternoon, the latest on Vonn is that she "underwent an orthopedic operation to stabilize a fracture reported in her left leg" at a larger hospital in Treviso, per ESPN.
"She'll be OK, but it's going to be a bit of a process," Anouk Patty, chief of sport for U.S. Ski and Snowboard said in a statement to ESPN. "This sport's brutal, and people need to remember when they're watching [that] these athletes are throwing themselves down a mountain and going really, really fast."
Vonn was airlifted off the slope via helicopter after her crash, which happened after she airborne and had her right arm get caught in between the posts of a marker flag. She rolled multiple times, and medical staff attended to her on the slope as the competition was delayed for around 10 minutes.
Vonn was initially taken to Cortina’s Codivilla Putti Hospital for immediate treatment, then later moved to Treviso. The U.S. ski team also said in a statement that Vonn was "in stable condition and in good hands with a team of American and Italian physicians."
MORE:Where is Lindsey Vonn from?
Lindsey Vonn crash video
Vonn successfully completed practice runs with her torn ACL, but Sunday marked the official downhill competition. Early in her run, she clipped a gate while in the air, then crashed to the ground.
NBC Sports broadcasts the Olympics and posted video of Vonn's crash here.
The AP's Jacquelyn Martin has the photo that shows the split-second before Lindsey Vonn's crash: her right ski pole clips the gate at the crest of the jump, which flung her off balance and induced the crash. pic.twitter.com/RKjQ4H4lKg
— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) February 8, 2026
MORE:Social media reacts to Lindsey Vonn's devastating crash
Is Lindsey Vonn out of the Olympics?
There's no full confirmation yet, but it can be safely assumed Vonn's run at the 2026 Winter Olympics is over. Based on the reports of a fractured leg on top of her previously torn ACL, those are injuries that can't be overcome to compete.
Vonn's team will likely confirm the end of her Olympic run soon, also likely ending the 41-year-old's competitive career after her 2024 comeback.
Category: General Sports
