Lindsey Vonn has returned to the United States to continue treatment after breaking her leg during the Winter Olympic downhill race. The 41-year-old skier suffered a complex tibia fracture in a crash on 8 February and has been unable to stand for over a week.
“Haven’t stood on my feet in over a week… been in a hospital bed immobile since my race. And although I’m not yet able to stand, being back on home soil feels amazing,” Vonn posted on social media. She thanked medical staff in Italy for their care and confirmed she will require further surgery in the US.
Vonn’s crash in Cortina d’Ampezzo occurred just nine days after she ruptured the ACL in her left knee during another fall in Switzerland. Despite the setbacks, she expressed no regrets about competing, stating that “knowing I stood there having a chance to win was a victory in and of itself.”
Fellow skier Federica Brignone of Italy, a double gold medallist at these Games, defended Vonn’s decision to race. “It’s her choice. If it’s your body, then you decide what to do, whether to race or not. It’s not up to others. Only you,” Brignone said.
