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NEW YORK – Lindsey Vonn continues to face both physical and emotional challenges as she recovers from a severe crash at the Winter Olympics. For now, she is postponing any decisions about her future in competitive skiing.
Since suffering a complex fracture to her left leg during the women’s downhill race on February 8, Vonn has undergone eight surgeries. The injury was so serious that amputation was once considered. She will require at least one more operation to repair a torn ACL in the same knee.
At 41, Vonn said in a recent interview with The Associated Press that if she returns to racing, it will not be for at least another year and a half. “I just don’t want to jump to any conclusions or even speculate on what I might do,” she said.
“I may retire. I may never race again and that would be completely fine, but I’m not in a position emotionally to make that decision at this point.”
Vonn had been working toward a comeback season, returning after a six-year hiatus largely to compete at Cortina, Italy – one of her favorite courses and the site of the upcoming Milan-Cortina Games. The three-time Olympic medalist, including gold in downhill in 2010, crashed just 13 seconds into the race, ending a season in which she was leading the World Cup downhill standings and consistently placing near the top.
While Vonn has overcome significant injuries in the past – including a titanium implant in her right knee – this injury is uniquely severe. She described the pain as unlike anything she has experienced before, and the number of surgeries nearly doubles those from all previous injuries combined.
“It’s a much different injury in that way, again, like the severity of the injury and understanding that I could have lost my leg and how bad things were,” Vonn said. “I can deal with a lot of pain, but this was so extreme.”
Her recovery is progressing, albeit more slowly than she would like. She has moved from a wheelchair to crutches and expects to start walking short distances soon. Vonn has yet to discuss a potential return to skiing with her doctor, as their focus remains on her current rehabilitation.
“Regardless, nothing would really happen until ’27-28 because I still have one more surgery left to take out the metal and to replace my ACL,” she explained. “Once I get my ACL fixed, then that’s another six months, so I have at least I would say a year and a half ahead of me before I could really be back to 100%, even just training in the gym.”
Family members have expressed concern about her returning to the sport. Her father, speaking shortly after her crash, said he believed her career should end.
Vonn responded with characteristic determination: “He means the best. He forgot the cardinal rule with me is that if you don’t want me to do something, you shouldn’t tell me I can’t.
Tell me I can’t and I’ll prove you wrong.”
Throughout her career, Vonn has accepted the inherent risks of downhill skiing – one of the most dangerous sports – and has no regrets. She even competed in the Olympics shortly after tearing her ACL.
“This is the result, and I don’t regret it,” she said. “I don’t want a do-over.”
For now, her focus remains on healing. Only once her leg is healthy will she seriously consider what lies ahead.
“I’m still, like I said, in survival mode that I just want to get through this phase and be able to assess where I am in my life,” said Vonn, who holds 84 World Cup wins, second only to teammate Mikaela Shiffrin’s 110. “I don’t want to make a decision now because I think that would be rash and probably too emotional and I don’t want to make a mistake, you know?”