Lindsey Vonn's leg saved from amputation after Olympic crash

Olympic gold medalist Lindsey Vonn has returned home two weeks after a devastating crash during the women's downhill event at the 2026 Winter Olympics. The skier shared a personal update, describing the incident as the most extreme and painful injury of her career.

Vonn suffered a complex tibia fracture and compartment syndrome, a condition that restricts blood flow and can damage nerves. She credited Dr. Tom Hackett, an orthopedic surgeon for Team USA, with saving her leg through a procedure known as a fasciotomy.

"He saved my leg from being amputated," Vonn stated emotionally, explaining that Hackett performed a fasciotomy, cutting open both sides of her leg to allow it to 'breathe'.

Adding to her injuries, Vonn also broke her right ankle and tore the ACL in her left leg just nine days prior to the Olympic event. The near-fatal incident occurred 13 seconds into her first run, after her right arm clipped a gate, sending her airborne.

Confined to a wheelchair, Vonn anticipates a year-long recovery for her leg bones and subsequent ACL repair. Despite the arduous journey, she expressed no regrets about her comeback after a six-year retirement, emphasizing her determination to keep trying.