Lindsey Vonn isn’t letting anything — even a catastrophic injury — get in the way of her miraculous comeback at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
“Well… I completely tore my ACL last Friday,” Vonn, 41, shared via Instagram on Tuesday, February 3. “I also sustained a bone bruise (which is a common injury when you tear your ACL), plus meniscal tears but it’s unclear how much of that was there previously and what was new from the crash.”
She continued, “This was obviously incredibly hard news to receive one week before the Olympics. I really appreciate everyone giving me time and space to process what happened and find a way forward.”
Vonn was airlifted off the course after a crash during her World Cup Race in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, on Friday, January 30.
“After extensive consultations with doctors, intense therapy, physical tests as well as skiing today, I have determined I am capable of competing in the Olympic Downhill on Sunday,” Vonn said. “Of course I will still need to do one training run, as is required to race on Sunday, but… I am confident in my body’s ability to perform. Despite my injuries my knee is stable, I do not have swelling and my muscles are firing and reacting as they should.”
She added, “I will obviously be continuing to evaluate with my medical team on a daily basis to make sure we are making smart decisions but I have every intention of competing on Sunday.”
Vonn announced her return to the sport in November 2024 after nearly six years of retirement, with the goal of competing at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy.
“I know what my chances in these Olympics were before this crash, and even though my chances aren’t the same now, there is still a chance,” Vonn wrote on Tuesday. “And as long as I have a chance, I will not lose hope. I will not give up! It’s not over yet!”
She concluded her post, “Thank you to everyone who has reached out and supported me. I feel the love and it is giving me strength. 🙏🏻💪🏻🇺🇸.”
The 2026 Winter Olympics begin on Wednesday, February 4, ahead of the Opening Ceremony on Friday, February 6.
Vonn’s first event is scheduled to be the alpine skiing women’s downhill on Sunday, February 8.
After last week’s crash, Vonn took to social media to offer an update about the “very difficult outcome.”
“My Olympic dream is not over,” she shared via Instagram on Friday. “Thank you for all of the love and support. I will give more information when I have it. Thank you to all the medical staff who helped me today. I am grateful for all the incredible help I received.”
Just days before the crash in Switzerland, Vonn credited her team of doctors, surgeons and physical therapists for making her return to the sport a possibility.
“Everyone put in a lot of time and equity into this comeback, which never set out to be a comeback in the first place,” she said on the Today show on January 26. “I can’t believe I’m here, to be honest. But without everyone supporting me, I definitely wouldn’t be here.”
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