Olympic skiing champion Lindsey Vonn has successfully undergone her ninth surgery since sustaining a complex leg injury during the 2026 Winter Games in Italy. The American athlete shared a positive update on Wednesday, confirming the procedure went as planned.
The surgery involved removing plates and screws previously inserted into her knee to facilitate the installation of a new ACL. Vonn documented the process on social media, sharing an image of the removed hardware alongside a video of her bandaged leg.
Vonn suffered the initial injury during a crash in the women's downhill final in February, which required an emergency airlift from the track. The incident resulted in a complex tibia fracture and an ACL tear, with doctors initially expressing concern that the damage could lead to amputation.
She credited her orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Tom Hackett, with saving her leg following the accident. The athlete underwent her first three surgeries within three days of the February 8 crash, marking the beginning of a long rehabilitation process.
Despite the extensive medical intervention, Vonn has not ruled out a return to the slopes in the future. She noted that she intends to assess her physical and mental readiness for skiing once she has fully recovered from this latest operation.
Vonn had previously ended her retirement in November 2024 to compete in her fifth Olympic Games. Her career highlights include winning gold in the downhill event at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics.
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