Lindsey Vonn shared an emotional video on Instagram on Tuesday, February 17, after undergoing multiple surgeries in Italy. The Olympian was transported from the hospital to the airport by ambulance and then her stretcher was loaded onto an airplane where she’d spend the next several hours before touching down on U.S. soil.
“My leg is still in pieces…but I’m finally HOME,” Vonn captioned the post. “Thankful to all of the medical staff who helped me get home and seriously looking forward to my next surgery when I can get the X-fix out of my leg and will be able to move more.”
“My injury was a lot more severe than just a broken leg. I’m still wrapping my head around it, what it means and the road ahead… but I’m going to give you more detail in the coming days. As always, I appreciate all the love and support,” she added.
Back on February 8, Vonn competed in the women’s downhill event at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan. However, just 13 seconds into her run, her shoulder clipped a gate and she lost control. People in the crowd could hear Vonn screaming out in pain, knowing something was very, very wrong.
“I was simply 5 inches too tight on my line when my right arm hooked inside of the gate, twisting me and resulted in my crash. My ACL and past injuries had nothing to do with my crash whatsoever,” she wrote on Instagram on February 9.
Vonn fractured her tibia and will need to undergo additional surgeries. Although her leg is stable, Vonn will have more imaging done with her doctor in the U.S. and they will collectively figure out what to do next. Vonn seems to be upbeat and positive despite the major setback that very well may have ended her career.