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Lindsey Vonn nearly lost her leg in Olympic crash

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Grey Papke | Last updated Feb 23, 2026 1:11 PM ET

Lindsey Vonn admitted Monday that she could have lost her leg following her crash in the 2026 Winter Olympics.

In an Instagram post, Vonn revealed the extent of her injuries, which included a tibial plateau fracture and fractured fibula head. Her injuries were so severe that only quick action from doctors kept her from losing her leg.

“I had compartment syndrome. And compartment syndrome is when you have so much trauma to one area of your body, that there’s too much blood, and it gets stuck, and it basically crushes everything in the compartment,” Vonn said. “All the muscle and nerves and tendons, it all kind of dies. And Dr. Tom Hackett had saved my life. He saved my leg from being amputated.”

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Vonn said Hackett was only on hand because of the ACL tear she had suffered before the Olympics, and was able to act quickly to save her leg.

The former Olympic gold medalist skiier said she has a very long recovery ahead of her. It will take roughly a year for her leg to heal, at which point she will finally be able to have surgery to address the ACL tear.

Vonn was attempting an unlikely comeback at the age of 41, but crashed seconds into her first event of the Olympics. She is out of the hospital, though it has been a very difficult week for her on multiple fronts.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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