Lindsey Vonn Undergoes Fifth Surgery After Downhill Crash in Cortina

Legendary American alpine skier Lindsey Vonn is grappling with serious consequences from a fall at the Winter Olympic Games in Milan-Cortina. The accident occurred on February 8 during the downhill competition, one of her signature events. Lindsey Vonn, born in 1984, is one of the most decorated alpine skiers in history. In 2010 in Vancouver, she won an Olympic gold medal in downhill, and throughout her career, she triumphed four times in the overall World Cup standings. However, her career has been marked by a series of severe knee injuries, which have repeatedly forced her to take breaks and undergo complex surgeries. After being transported to the United States at the beginning of last week, Vonn underwent her fifth surgery on the injured leg on Friday, February 20. The six-hour procedure was the first surgical intervention performed on American soil following four previous surgeries in Italian hospitals. Vonn shared a photo of her heavily bandaged knee with fans, captioning it: „"I'm really bionic now!"” — Lindsey Vonn. In another post, she added that the procedure „"required a lot of plates and screws"” — Lindsey Vonn, illustrating the scale and complexity of the injury. Doctors report that despite the successful outcome of the latest surgery, the recovery process will be prolonged and painful. Vonn admitted that she is making slow progress. Her younger sister, Karin Kildow, in a manner characteristic of the family's sense of humor, published a lighthearted video on social media. She suggested that instead of using dating apps, it's better to go to an emergency room in Italy, which was later positively commented on by an Italian medical association. Italian medical staff praised her for recognizing the "beauty" of the hospital personnel. [{"dataISO": "2026-02-08", "data": "February 8, 2026", "tytul": "Fall at the Olympics", "opis": "Lindsey Vonn suffered a severe leg fracture during the downhill event at the Winter Olympic Games in Milan-Cortina."}, {"dataISO": "2026-02-09/2026-02-19", "data": "February 9-19, 2026", "tytul": "Four Surgeries in Italy", "opis": "The athlete underwent a series of four urgent surgeries in Italian hospitals following the accident."}, {"dataISO": "2026-02-17", "data": "February 17, 2026", "tytul": "Return to the USA", "opis": "Vonn was transported to the United States for further treatment."}, {"dataISO": "2026-02-20", "data": "February 20, 2026", "tytul": "Fifth, Six-Hour Surgery", "opis": "Another extensive surgical procedure was performed on the injured leg in the USA."}] The entire situation once again highlights the extreme physical demands and injury risks in winter sports, especially in speed disciplines like downhill. For the 41-year-old Vonn, who has repeatedly returned to sport after serious injuries in the past, this is another exceptionally difficult challenge.