American alpine skier Lindsey Vonn suffered a complex fracture of her tibia following a crash during the women’s downhill competition at the Winter Olympics in Cortina d’Ampezzo. The 41-year-old athlete was participating in her fifth and final Olympic Games when the accident occurred just 13 seconds into her run at the Olimpia delle Tofane course on Sunday.
Vonn’s left arm became entangled in a gate, causing her to lose balance and crash. She remained on the slope for several minutes while receiving medical attention before being airlifted to Ca Foncello hospital in Treviso. There, she underwent surgery to address the fractured bone in her left leg.
Despite the severity of the injury, Vonn stated she harbors no regrets about her decision to compete. ‘‘Yesterday my Olympic dream did not finish the way I dreamt it would. It wasn’t a storybook ending or a fairytale, it was just life. I dared to dream and had worked so hard to achieve it,’’ she wrote in an Instagram post on Monday. ‘‘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.’’
Vonn had been recovering from an earlier injury, having sustained torn anterior cruciate ligaments (ACL) in her left knee during a crash in the final race in Switzerland nine days before the Olympics. She confirmed this injury during a press conference, sharing that it did not contribute to her crash.
Throughout her career, Vonn has faced several injuries, including a partial replacement of her right knee. She emphasized that the risks inherent in ski racing are part of the sport’s nature. ‘‘It always was and always will be an incredibly dangerous sport. And similar to ski racing, we take risks in life,’’ she said. ‘‘We dream. We love. We jump. And sometimes we fall. Sometimes our hearts are broken. Sometimes we don’t achieve the dreams we know we could have. But that is also the beauty of life; we can try.’’
Vonn encouraged others to embrace courage and ambition, stating, ‘‘I hope if you take away anything from my journey it’s that you all have the courage to dare greatly. Life is too short not to take chances on yourself. Because the only failure in life is not trying. I tried. I dreamt. I jumped.’’
Lindsey Vonn is a former Olympic downhill champion, having won gold in 2010. Her determination to compete at this stage in her career and following multiple injuries has drawn both praise for her bravery and concern over the potential long-term consequences of racing while injured. The Winter Olympics continue in Milan-Cortina until February 22.
