Lindsey Vonn said she will need multiple surgeries after breaking her leg in a violent crash during her Olympic run in Milan, emphasizing that the accident had “nothing to do” with her decision to compete with a torn ACL. She explained that she simply misjudged her line by a few inches, causing her arm to catch a gate and twist her off balance before she crashed just seconds into the course. Vonn had ruptured her ACL less than two weeks earlier but chose to race with a brace despite the risks. She was airlifted from the mountain and underwent surgery in Treviso to stabilize the fracture, with U.S. Ski & Snowboard reporting she is in stable condition.
Her father, Alan Kildow, said this latest injury should mark the end of her career, calling the 41‑year‑old “a very strong individual” but insisting she should no longer compete. Vonn had been aiming to become the oldest Alpine skier ever to win an Olympic medal, adding to a historic résumé that includes 84 World Cup wins—second only to Mikaela Shiffrin—and three Olympic medals, including downhill gold in 2010. Despite the painful setback, Vonn said she has no regrets about competing.