Lindsey Vonn confirms 'successful' third surgery after leg fracture complete

Lindsey Vonn during a press conference before her crash
Lindsey Vonn during a press conference before her crashReuters / Leonhard Foeger

USA ski star Lindsey Vonn said Wednesday that she has gone under the knife a third time after breaking her leg in the crash, which dashed her hopes of Winter Olympics glory.

Vonn wrote on Instagram that the surgery was a success, following two other operations to stabilise what on Monday she called a "complex tibia fracture" in her left leg.

"I had the third surgery today, and it was successful," Vonn said alongside a photo of her in her bed at the Ca' Foncello hospital in Treviso.

"Success today had a completely different meaning than it did a few days ago. I'm making progress, and while it is slow, I know I'll be OK."

The photo also shows the external fixation device put in place to stabilise what Vonn has already described as a "complex tibia fracture" that she suffered just seconds into her medal bid in the women's downhill final at the Milan-Cortina Games.

Lindsey Vonn lies in a hospital bed after her crash
Lindsey Vonn lies in a hospital bed after her crash@lindseyvonn via Instagram / via Reuters

Vonn, the 2010 Olympic downhill champion, was making an audacious attempt for a medal after suffering a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in her left knee last month.

The American had resumed her career in late 2024 after nearly six years in retirement and was considered a strong favourite for the downhill at the Winter Olympics before she suffered the ACL injury in a crash in Crans Montana, Switzerland.

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