Legendary American skier Lindsey Vonn has shared her first message since returning to the United States following her horrific crash at the 2026 Winter Olympics. Her message reflects gratitude, resilience, and a deep appreciation for the people who have stood by her through one of the toughest weeks of her life.
On February 8, Vonn suffered a devastating crash at the women’s downhill race, where she was competing with an already ruptured ACL from a training session a week ago. Barely 13 seconds into her run, she clipped a gate at high speed, leading to a violent crash that resulted in a complex tibia fracture, requiring multiple surgeries.
Over the past week, she has undergone almost four operations on her leg, and after the latest one, she was cleared to return to the US. After leaving the hospital in Italy and reaching America, Vonn shared an emotional public message.
She posted an Instagram video in which her sister, Karin Kildow, can be seen taking care of her. The skier was seen doing physical therapy, eating, getting her hair washed, and more. She penned a caption, honoring the people who have supported her through her recovery, and expressed deep affection for her sister.
“Thankful for friends, family, my team, and all the medical staff that are getting me back to myself…. I’m slowly coming back to life, back to basics and the simple things in life that mean the most. Smile. Laugh. Love. 🙏🏻❤️ My sister @kar_inthegarage made this video, and it instantly made me cry and made my heart full. Love you guys ❤️.”
Following this, she also posted a heartfelt message on X for her supporters, which read:
“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 ❤️🇺🇸 #imhome #BeLv. Huge thank you to everyone in Italy for taking good care of me.”
What Did Lindsey Vonn Say After Her Heartbreaking Crash at the 2026 Winter Olympics?
Following the devastating crash on February 8 at the women’s downhill race at Milano-Cortina, Lindsey Vonn wrote a message on social media, opening up about the unfortunate mishap. 18 minutes after the fall, she was airlifted and admitted to Ca’ Foncello Hospital in Treviso, and soon after, she made her feelings known about the heartbreaking crash.
Taking to Instagram, she posted a picture of herself and said that even though her Olympic dream didn’t end the way she had hoped, she was happy with the fact that she ‘dared to dream.’
“Yesterday my Olympic dream did not finish the way I dreamt it would. It wasn’t a story book ending or a fairy tail, it was just life. I dared to dream and had worked so hard to achieve it. Because in Downhill ski racing the difference between a strategic line and a catastrophic injury can be as small as 5 inches,” wrote Lindsey Vonn.
Saying she had no regrets, Vonn added:
“While yesterday did not end the way I had hoped, and despite the intense physical pain it caused, I have no regrets. Standing in the starting gate yesterday was an incredible feeling that I will never forget. Knowing I stood there having a chance to win was a victory in and of itself.”
She added:
“Sometimes we don’t achieve the dreams we know we could have. But that is the also the beauty of life; we can try. I tried. I dreamt. I jumped.”
Here is the full message:
Lindsey Vonn has been constantly sharing updates about her surgeries on social media. Most recently, she had her fourth surgery and she continues her treatment in America.
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