Doctor shares image of Lindsey Vonn’s fracture

February 14, 2026 Oliver Obel

Lindsey Vonn says “success” now carries a different meaning.

The American skiing star is recovering from a serious leg fracture sustained during the women’s downhill at the Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo. The crash occurred just seconds after she exited the start gate, ending her race almost immediately. She was transported from the course by rescue helicopter.

Olympic officials later confirmed she had suffered a broken leg requiring surgery.

In a post shared on social media after her most recent procedure, Vonn wrote: “Success today has a completely different meaning than it did a few days ago. I'm making progress and while it is slow, I know I'll be ok.” She said it marked her third operation related to the injury.

Doctors Outline the Extent of the Damage

Jesse Morse, M.D., a sports and family medicine physician who frequently analyzes athlete injuries on social media, said the fracture appeared significant based on publicly available details.

“When she said she would need multiple surgeries she wasn’t kidding. She just completed her 3rd,” Morse wrote on X.

“When I say this was a ‘bad’ fracture I wasn’t kidding.”

Morse shared reference images of a comparable injury emphasizing they were not Vonn’s scans to illustrate the likely stabilization process. “This is called an external fixator (‘x-fix’) and is being used to help stabilise the fractured tibia (and maybe more),” he wrote.

External fixators are commonly used in complex tibia fractures to stabilize bone fragments before additional reconstructive procedures. For elite alpine skiers, recovery can take several months or longer, depending on complications and rehabilitation progress.

Crash Ends Olympic Campaign

The Milan Games marked Vonn’s fifth Olympic appearance. She entered the competition with three Olympic medals and a long history of knee injuries, including prior ACL damage and meniscal issues.

After the fall, she pushed back against suggestions that earlier injuries contributed to the crash.

“In Downhill ski racing the difference between a strategic line and a catastrophic injury can be as small as five inches,” she wrote.

“I was simply five inches too tight on my line when my right arm hooked inside of the gate, twisting me and resulted in my crash. My ACL and past injuries had nothing to do with my crash whatsoever.”

She also thanked medical staff, friends and family for their support: “Thankful for all of the incredible medical staff, friends, family, who have been by my side and the beautiful outpouring of love and support from people around the world.”

For an athlete whose career has included multiple comebacks from serious injuries, this latest setback is expected to require an extended rehabilitation period. Whether it proves to be her final Olympic appearance remains uncertain. For now, her focus is on recovery.

View an image of Vonn’s fracture here.

Sources: Lindsey Vonn social media posts; Jesse Morse, M.D. posts on X, official Olympic event statements.