Lindsey Vonn returns home for first time since suffering leg fracture in crash at 2026 Winter Olympics - 'Hard realities'
Published 03/03/2026 at 09:38 GMT
Lindsey Vonn says she has returned home for the first time since suffering a leg fracture and a broken ankle in her crash at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games. Vonn had previously spent two weeks in hospital and almost had her left leg amputated as a result of her injuries. She said she was happy to be home but it came with "hard realities" following the death of one of her dogs, Leo.
Watch: Vonn airlifted away in helicopter after big downhill crash
Video credit: TNT Sports
Lindsey Vonn has returned home for the first time since her crash at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games.
Vonn suffered a fracture to her left leg and a broken right ankle from the crash in the women's downhill. She was competing just nine days after rupturing her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).
The 41-year-old underwent multiple surgeries in Italy and has since been transported back to the US. She said late in February that after two weeks in hospital, she had finally been able to leave and was staying in a hotel.
In an Instagram post on Monday, the skier confirmed that she’s finally been able to return to her home, but that it was a difficult moment following the death of one of her dogs, Leo, on the day she crashed.
"Home sweet home. Feels good to sleep in my own bed… but wheeling through the front door without Leo greeting me like always was a very hard reality," Vonn wrote.
"A reality I had to face. Along with many other hard realities that lay in front of me as I move forward…."
Vonn revealed last week that she almost had her left leg amputated after her crash after doctors found that she had compartment syndrome in the leg.
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Vonn went into Olympics 'with her eyes open' to the 'risk' - Johnson
Video credit: TNT Sports
The National Health Service defines compartment syndrome as "increase in pressure inside a muscle, which restricts blood flow and causes pain."
She credited Dr. Tom Hackett - an orthopaedic surgeon who works with Team USA - for saving her leg.
Vonn described her injury as "by far the most extreme and painful and challenging injury I’ve ever faced in my entire life, times 100."
And now she has been able to return to some sense of normality in her own house, Vonn says she will concentrate on returning to full fitness.
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"I’m focused now on therapy and getting healthy. It’s going to be a hard and painful journey but I am putting all of my energy into it, like I always do," she said.
"I’m going to take some time for myself. I’ll give you updates when I can but right now my focus is on taking care of myself. As always, thank you for the love and support."
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