Lindsey Vonn shares health update from hospital bed after crashing out of Winter Olympics
The Olympic legend has undergone a third surgery since being airlifted off the course at the Milan-Cortina Games.
Lindsey Vonn has had a “successful” third surgery on her broken left leg following her downhill crash at the Olympics.
The 41-year-old superstar posted an update on Instagram on Thursday morning (AEDT) that included photos of her giving a thumbs up sign in her hospital bed with a metal frame attached to her leg.
“I had my 3rd surgery today and it was successful. Success today has a completely different meaning than it did a few days ago,” Vonn said.
“I’m making progress and while it is slow, I know I’ll be OK.”
Vonn crashed 13 seconds into her run during Sunday’s blue riband race at the Milan-Cortina Games and was airlifted off the course by helicopter.
She said on Tuesday she had suffered a “complex tibia fracture that is currently stable but will require multiple surgeries to fix properly”.
Vonn’s father, Alan Kildow, said she was surrounded by family “at all times” at the hospital in Treviso where she is being treated.
“Thankful for all of the incredible medical staff, friends, family, who have been by my side and the beautiful outpouring of love and support from people around the world,” Vonn added.
“Also, huge congrats to my teammates and all of the Team USA athletes who are out there inspiring me and giving me something to cheer for.”
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Vonn raced the downhill despite tearing the ACL in her left knee nine days earlier in another crash.
“What happened to her had nothing to do with the ACL issue on her left leg. Nothing,” her father Alan Kildow said.
“She had demonstrated that she was able to function at a very high level with the two downhill training runs. And she had been cleared by high level physicians to ski.”
Kildow said the crash was less a result of Vonn’s knee injury than the way she pushed the limits of her racing line to the point where she clipped a gate early in her run and got knocked out of control.
“There are times sometimes in any race, but especially in downhill, where you have to take a little speed off,” he said.
“You can give yourself a little bit more leeway on the line so you don’t put yourself in a questionable position.”
Vonn, who holds the record of 12 World Cup victories in Cortina, returned to the circuit last season after nearly six years of retirement and after a partial titanium replacement surgery in her right knee.
She won two downhills and finished on the podium in seven of the eight World Cup races that she finished this season — and came fourth in the other one.
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