After undergoing her ninth leg surgery since the injury she suffered at the 2026 Olympics, Lindsey Vonn is currently in good spirits.
Vonn wrote in an Instagram post Wednesday morning that her surgery “went well” and that she would share more information soon.
This comes after Vonn said in a video on her Instagram Story earlier this week that she was about to undergo surgery and discussed the details of the procedure, which involved “removing all the plates and screws” that were previously placed in her knee “so we can put a new ACL in place.”
Vonn also included a brief post-op video with the bag of screws and plates that were removed, as well as a look at her right leg wrapped in bandages.
The American ski legend initially tore his ACL in a fall during the World Cup downhill event that was his final tune-up before the Olympics. She still continued to participate in the Winter Games.
Vonn crashed early in her first run in the women’s downhill final and had to be airlifted off the track. She revealed the extent of the injuries was a complex fracture of the tibia separate from the initial ACL tear and that it would take several surgeries to repair all the damage.
The first three surgeries took place within three days from the date of the accident on February 8. She later revealed that doctors were initially concerned that the injuries could lead to her leg being amputated.
Vonn’s regular orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Tom Hackett, was in Italy at the time and was able to perform the surgery that she said saved her leg.
“Dr. Tom Hackett saved my leg,” she said. “He saved my leg from amputation.”
Despite nine surgeries and a fear of amputation, Vonn hinted last week in an interview with Matthew Futterman of The Athletic that she could possibly return to skiing, even if just for fun, in the future.
“I wish I could be there,” Vonn said of the World Cup sprint races that will take place in December. “I want to go through this surgery and see where things are, and we’ll see, you know, if I physically and mentally want to continue skiing, or if I’m just going to be out there for fun.”
Vonn’s return to the Olympics this year came after ending her retirement in November 2024. She officially qualified for the Winter Games in Italy in December 2025.
The Milan Cortina Games marked Vonn’s fifth appearance at the Olympic Games. She has won three career medals, including gold in downhill at the 2010 Vancouver Games.
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