Lindsey Vonn shares emotional health update from hospital bed after surgeon speaks out

Lindsey Vonn has shared an emotional health update from her hospital bed after suffering a horror injury at the Winter Olympics.

The legendary alpine skier crashed just 13 seconds into her downhill race in Italy last Sunday and was airlifted to hospital with what later proved to be a complex tibia fracture.

The 41-year-old took to Instagram to provide the latest update on her injuries amid rumours that she could even be forced to have her leg amputated, such was the extent of the leg break.

However, shortly after her surgeon provided a positive update, the highly decorated athlete confirmed that she's set for several more surgeries before she can be back to her best.

In a social media video, she said: “Hey guys, just wanted to give a little update and say thank you so much to everyone that has been sending me flowers and letters and sharks, stuffed animals, it’s just been so amazing, and it’s really helped me a lot.

“It’s really been quite a hard few days in the hospital here. I’m finally feeling more like myself, but I have a long, long way to go.

“Tomorrow, I’ll have another surgery, and hopefully that goes well, then I can potentially leave and go back home, at which point I will need another surgery.

“So I don’t know exactly what that entails yet until I get some better imaging, but that’s kind of where I am right now.

“I’m just in the hospital, very much immobile. But I have a lot of friends and family that have been coming up to visit, and like I said, the letters and notes and everything, flowers, have just been so incredible.

“The staff and medical team here have been amazing, so I feel very lucky and fortunate to have so many people around me who have helped me get through this.

“So I just want to say thank you and go Team USA, it’s been so great to watch and has really lifted my spirit, so good job team and keep crushing it. I’ll check with you guys when I can.”

Vonn had initially retired from skiing in 2019 after suffering numerous leg injuries, but announced a shock return to the sport in 2024, with the aim of competing and adding to her large medal collection at this year's Winter Olympics.

Her plans were thrown into doubt when she suffered an ACL injury just weeks before she was due to compete, but clearly nothing was going to stop her at that point.

Although many connected her existing injury with Sunday's crash, the racer has since spoken out to confirm that her ACL and past injuries had 'nothing to do with' her crash whatsoever and that she was 'simply five inches too tight' on her line when her right arm hooked inside the gate, twisting the athlete and resulting in her horror crash.