Lindsey Vonn Discloses Harrowing Near Amputation Following Devastating Olympic Crash
Olympic skiing icon Lindsey Vonn revealed on Monday that her left leg came perilously close to amputation due to the severe injuries sustained in a catastrophic crash earlier this month in Italy. The former gold medalist detailed the traumatic incident and subsequent medical emergency in a candid video posted to her Instagram account.
Emergency Surgery Saves Limb from Amputation
Vonn explained that her physician performed an emergency fasciotomy, a surgical procedure designed to relieve dangerous pressure within muscle compartments. "He did what's called a fasciotomy, where he cut open both sides of my leg—kind of fileted it open, so to speak, let it breathe—and he saved me," Vonn stated. The athlete emphasized that without this immediate intervention, amputation would have been inevitable.
Complex Fractures and Compartment Syndrome
The injuries included:
- A complex tibia fracture
- Fractured fibular head
- Fractured tubal plateau
Vonn also developed compartment syndrome, a serious condition she described as having "so much trauma to one area of your body that there's too much blood and it gets stuck." She elaborated, "It basically crushes everything in the compartment, so all the muscle and nerves and tendons, it all kind of dies."
Olympic Tragedy Unfolds
Days before the Winter Olympics commenced, the 41-year-old athlete ruptured her ACL but chose to compete regardless. On February 8, during the women's downhill event, Vonn crashed violently, fracturing her left leg and requiring airlift evacuation from the course. She noted ironically that had she not torn her ACL earlier, her doctor wouldn't have been present to save her leg from amputation.
Lengthy Recovery Process
Following a six-hour surgery last Wednesday, Vonn remained hospitalized for two weeks—longer than anticipated—due to complications requiring a blood transfusion. Currently using a wheelchair because she also broke her right ankle, Vonn hopes to transition to crutches soon. "I can't tell you how painful it's been," she admitted. "It's been really hard, and it was definitely not the way I wanted to end my Olympics."
Inspiration Amid Adversity
Despite her personal ordeal, Vonn found inspiration watching her teammates compete. "Everyone's just been incredible, and watching Team USA dominate has been really uplifting. So I'm really proud of all you guys," she expressed. The champion, who made history as the first American woman to win Olympic downhill gold in 2010, shared her workout routine on social media after her ACL rupture, vowing not to surrender.
Reflecting on Resilience
Vonn acknowledged wishing for a different outcome but maintained her characteristic resilience. "I'd rather go down swinging than not try at all," she declared. "And I think what I was able to achieve was more than anyone expected to begin with. ... This was just one blip on the radar. It was one thing that I wish didn't happen. But life is life, and we have to take the punches as they come." Her story underscores the extreme physical risks elite athletes face and the remarkable medical interventions that can prevent catastrophic outcomes.
