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Lindsey Vonn Confirms Complex Tibia Fracture Requiring Multiple Surgeries After Olympic Crash

Her update from an Italian hospital refocused attention on athlete choice and risk as officials said the decision to compete was hers.

Overview

  • Vonn crashed 13 seconds into the Cortina downhill, was treated on course, airlifted, and underwent initial surgery in Treviso; the U.S. Ski Team said she is stable.
  • She wrote that she was five inches too tight and hooked a gate with her right arm, adding her recent ACL tear did not cause the fall.
  • In her post she said she has no regrets about racing and that the fracture is stable but will require multiple operations.
  • Her father, Alan Kildow, told the Associated Press he believes the injury likely ends her career, though Vonn has made no announcement.
  • IOC sports director Pierre Ducrey and U.S. teammates defended her autonomy to start, and Breezy Johnson won gold in the event.