Lindsey Vonn is still in ‘survival mode’ after her devastating crash at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Cortina, Italy. The 2010 Olympic downhill champion now says she faces at least 18 months before returning to full fitness.
Vonn was competing nine days after suffering a torn ACL in her left knee when she hit a gate 13 seconds into her downhill run. She was airlifted off the course with a complex tibia fracture.
“Once I get my ACL fixed, that’s another six months,” Vonn said. “I have at least a year and a half ahead of me before I could really be back to 100%.”
The 40-year-old American, who won two world titles in 2009, called the pain from this injury “extreme” and unlike anything she had experienced before, saying, “I could have lost my leg.”
Vonn initially retired from skiing in 2019 after a series of leg injuries, but returned in 2024 following a partial right knee replacement. She is second all-time on the women’s World Cup wins list, behind fellow American Mikaela Shiffrin, with 84 victories.