Lindsey Vonn climbed back to the top of alpine skiing, defying age and injury for her fifth Olympics. But her last Olympic run nearly cost her more than a medal.

A crash during the downhill event at the 2026 Winter Olympics left the 41-year-old’s leg in danger. Without the tireless attention of her medical team, it might have been amputated. Now, days after being discharged from the hospital following four surgeries, Vonn credits her inner circle for helping her reach so far in life.

“From Dr. Tom Hackett saving my leg, Dr. Roche building my partial knee replacement, fixing torn ligaments, therapy and rehab… my doctors and medical team are the reason why I was able to do what I did this year and throughout my whole career,” Vonn shared on Instagram.

“You see the end result, when at 41 I climbed my way back to number 1 in the world,” Lindsey Vonn added.

“But you don’t see all the hours my medical team put in with me to build me back. Even at the Olympics with a torn ACL, Lindsay Winninger and Lorenzo Gonzalez worked around the clock to get my knee ready to race again. You didn’t see me in the pool doing therapy at 930pm.”

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“It literally takes a village and I am so grateful for every single one of them! Thank you for putting your heart into helping me. Thank you for letting me follow my dreams one last time.”

Vonn shared photos from her hospital bed, showing Dr. Hackett and the team that guided her through recovery – a team that included physical therapists, nurses, radiologists, sports medicine physicians, and orthopedic surgeons.

Initially, her injury was believed to be a complex tibia fracture sustained just 13 seconds into her February 8 run, after clipping a gate and flying off course. But the damage was far more severe.

“Everything was in pieces,” Vonn recalled.

The accident caused compartment syndrome in her left leg, a fatal disorder of swelling and bleeding that accumulates pressure within muscle tissue. It may have been permanently damaged or even amputated without quick treatment.

Following several surgeries in Italy, Lindsey Vonn returned to the United States, where she underwent a six-hour operation by Colorado-based orthopedic surgeon Tom Hackett, who works with the U.S. ski team.

“He cut open both sides of my leg, filleted it open. Let it breathe, and he saved me,” she shared.

“It’s gonna be a long road,” she wrote.

“Now I will focus on rehab and progressing from a wheelchair to crutches in a few weeks. It will take around a year for all of the bones to heal.”

But Lindsey Vonn’s comeback and dream of the Olympics at 41 was only possible because of Dr. Roche.

Dr. Martin Roche gave Lindsey Vonn a second chance at skiing greatness

Lindsey Vonn originally retired from competitive skiing in 2019 after a long, decorated career that included three Olympic medals and 82 World Cup victories. Decades of recurring knee issues, fractured knees, and ligament ruptures had taken their toll, and she felt it was time to retire when her body could no longer handle the demands of professional racing.

Vonn explored new sports like car racing, wrote a book, and spent time with family and friends. But that changed in April 2024.

She underwent a partial knee replacement with titanium implants to regain the functionality of her right knee. The surgery was done by the orthopedic surgeon Martin Roche. As a result, the years of constant aching disappeared, and she dared to ski again competitively.

Lindsey Vonn later revealed, “I’m still not 100 percent, so I just need to execute and ski the way I know I can. If I can do that, then I know I can be fast.”

Once her knee regained strength, Vonn rejoined the U.S. Ski Team for the 2024-25 season. She began competing in World Cup events towards the end of 2024 and soon showed that she can still play at a high level.

Her hard work paid off with several podium finishes, ending in a downhill victory in St. Moritz in December 2025. That was her first World Cup win in nearly eight years. The race was also her 83rd career downhill win, making Vonn the Olympic downhill leader going into 2026.

Before the 2026 Winter Olympics, Vonn was in good form and was among the downhill contenders. She had been racing throughout the season, climbing the standings with the speed of an elite despite her previous injuries. However, only days before the Olympic downhill, she tore her ACL during a World Cup race.

Yet, she decided to fight.

Although the final Olympic run ended in a crash, Lindsey Vonn’s comeback and her ability to reach the top again were only possible due to the whole medical crew!