Lindsey Vonn Sends 3-Word Message in First Post Since Devastating Olympic Crash
Lindsey Vonn's Olympic comeback attempt ended in disaster just 13 seconds into her run over the weekend when she hooked her right arm and shoulder around a gate, throwing her off balance and sending her flying into the air before she landed hard on the snow and tumbled end-over-end down the slope.
The United States star skier was airlifted to the hospital where she "underwent an orthopedic operation to stabilize a fracture reported in her left leg," the Ca' Foncello hospital said in a statement.
Lindsey Vonn Breaks Silence After Crash
Vonn's decision to race after tearing her ACL came under fire following her accident, but host and journalist Dan Walker came to her defense in a post on social media.
"If you want to know what sport is… What a weekend of action! I love the Winter Olympics but there have been quite a few articles questioning whether @lindseyvonn should have been competing in Italy at the age of 41 with an injured ACL. I think her attitude is the very essence of sport. It wasn’t just about chasing glory… it was about defiance," he said.
Vonn saw the post and broke her silence for the first time following the crash with the message, "thank you Dan" with a prayer hands emoji.
Thank you Dan ????????
— lindsey vonn (@lindseyvonn) February 9, 2026
Vonn's Teammates Come to Her Defense
Walker wasn't the only one coming to Vonn's defense, though. Teammate Keely Cashman, who suffered a serious crash and was knocked unconscious five years ago, suggested fans don't really understand what happened to the star skier.
"People that don't know ski racing don't really understand what happened yesterday," she said. "She hooked her arm on the gate, which twisted her around. She was going probably 70 mph, and so that twists your body around...I think a lot of people are ridiculing that, and a lot of people don't [know] what's going on."
American downhiller Kyle Negomir echoed that thought.
"Lindsey's a grown woman and the best speed skier to ever do this sport. If she made her decision, I think she should absolutely be allowed to take that risk," he said. "She's obviously good enough that she's capable of pulling it off. Just because it happened to not pan out yesterday doesn't mean that it definitely wasn't a possibility that she could just crush it and have a perfect run."
Vonn Sent Defiant Message Before Final Run
In a message posted to social media the night before the run, Vonn addressed the outpouring of love she received from fans following her initial ACL tear while preparing for her final Olympics.
“I will stand in the starting gate tomorrow and know I am strong. Know that I believe in myself. Know that the odds are stacked against me with my age, no ACL, and a titanium knee- but know that I still believe. And usually, when the odds are stacked against me the most, I pull the best of what’s inside me out,” she said.”
“I will race tomorrow in my final Olympic Downhill and while I can’t guarantee a good result, I can guarantee I will give it everything I have. But no matter what happens, I have already won.”
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