Lindsey Vonn Undergoes Fifth Surgery After Fall in Cortina Downhill

Legendary American alpine skier Lindsey Vonn is grappling with the serious consequences of a fall at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympic Games. The accident occurred on February 8th 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 the 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 complicated 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 20th. The six-hour procedure was the first surgical intervention performed on American soil after four previous operations 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 surgery „"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 lengthy and painful. Vonn admitted she is making slow progress. Her younger sister, Karin Kildow, in the family's characteristic humorous spirit, posted a playful video on social media. She suggested that instead of using dating apps, it's better to go to an Italian emergency room, which was later positively commented on by an Italian medical association. Italian doctors praised her for noticing the "beauty" of the hospital staff.

[{"dataISO": "2026-02-08", "data": "February 8, 2026", "tytul": "Fall at the Games", "opis": "Lindsey Vonn suffered a severe leg fracture during the downhill at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympic Games."}, {"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 loads 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 trial.