Amputation Avoided? US Olympic Skiier Lindsey Vonn Reveals Chilling Details About Surgery

Last Updated:February 24, 2026, 16:06 IST

Lindsey Vonn details severe injuries from her Olympic crash in Cortina, and thanked her surgeon Tom Hackett for saving her leg from a possible amputation.

American ski icon Lindsey Vonn has revealed the full extent of the devastating injuries she suffered in her Olympic downhill crash in Cortina, and thanked the surgeon she says “saved my leg."

The 41-year-old posted a candid Instagram video featuring graphic images from the accident and surgery, confirming she has now been discharged from the hospital.

Initially believed to be a complex tibia fracture sustained just 13 seconds into her Feb. 8 run, after clipping a gate and flying off course, the damage was far more severe.

“Everything was in pieces," Vonn said.

The crash triggered compartment syndrome in her left leg, a dangerous condition caused by swelling and bleeding that builds pressure inside muscle tissue.

Without rapid intervention, it could lead to permanent damage or amputation.

After multiple surgeries in Italy, Vonn returned to the United States, where Colorado-based orthopaedic surgeon Tom Hackett, who works with the US ski team, performed a six-hour operation.

“He cut open both sides of my leg, filleted it open. Let it breathe, and he saved me," she said.

Vonn also revealed she broke her right ankle in the crash and is currently confined to a wheelchair.

“It’s gonna be a long road," she wrote. “Now I will focus on rehab and progressing from a wheelchair to crutches in a few weeks. It will take around a year for all of the bones to heal."

The 2010 Olympic downhill champion had come out of retirement last winter after nearly six years away.

“It’s been really hard and not the way I wanted to end the Olympics," she said, fighting tears. “No regrets. I worked so hard to get back, and this year was so worth it. It was one blip on the radar."

(with agency inputs)

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