Lindsey Vonn has ninth operation after Olympic crash
American skier Lindsey Vonn has undergone a ninth operation following her crash at the Winter Olympics in Cortina. She said her bones had healed after nine months, allowing treatment of her knee ligament and removal of surgical hardware. The 42-year-old described another six to nine months of recovery and hoped this would be her final operation.
Sports··Midday
Bone healing allows ligament repair
American alpine skier Lindsey Vonn has undergone her ninth operation following the crash at the Winter Olympics in Cortina, Italy. The 42-year-old described the procedure in a video posted on social media beforehand. Her treatment follows eight earlier operations after she broke a leg and ankle in the Olympic downhill.[1], [2]
Vonn said surgeons would remove the hardware placed during the previous procedures and repair her anterior cruciate ligament, the ligament in the knee known as the ACL. She had waited nine months for her bones to heal. With that healing complete, she said the ligament work would mean another six to nine months of recovery.[1]
Cortina crash brought repeated surgery
Vonn had entered the Olympic downhill nine days after rupturing ligaments in her left knee. Her race ended when she struck a gate and crashed 13 seconds after starting. The fractures that followed the fall required repeated surgery. She had previously said the operations meant that she did not need to have her leg amputated.[1]
Before the latest procedure, Vonn said she was nervous and anxious, while hoping that it would be the last operation. She wanted to put the treatment behind her. She recorded her explanation ahead of the procedure so that on the day itself she could concentrate on being focused, rested and getting through the operation.[1]
A comeback after earlier injuries
Vonn had retired in 2019 after repeated leg injuries. A partial replacement of her right knee preceded her return to competition in 2024. The Olympic crash came during that comeback. The current treatment concerns the injuries sustained in Cortina, with the bone healing followed by the planned repair of her knee ligament.[1]
The American won the Olympic downhill title in 2010 and has 84 World Cup victories. That total places her second on the all-time women’s list behind fellow American Mikaela Shiffrin. In her latest update, Vonn discussed the new recovery period after ligament surgery without announcing a confirmed date for a return to racing.[1]
