Lindsey Vonn, one of the most decorated ski racers in the sport’s history, has undergone two surgical procedures in Italy following a severe leg fracture sustained at the Olympics, a source close to the matter said on Monday. The source added the interventions were intended to stabilise her injury and to prevent complications that can arise from swelling and impaired blood flow.
Vonn, aged 41, was airlifted by helicopter from Cortina d’Ampezzo to the Ca’ Foncello Hospital in Treviso after she was involved in a dramatic crash just 13 seconds into Sunday’s downhill race. The crash followed an earlier injury to her left knee, which had been ruptured in late January, and her attempt to start despite that damage had been a prominent storyline in the opening days of the Milano Cortina Olympics.
The surgical work was carried out by a combined team of local orthopaedic and plastic surgeons, the source said. Vonn’s personal physician was present during the procedures but worked in an assisting capacity while Italian surgeons took the lead, according to the same source. A statement issued by the Treviso hospital on Sunday confirmed an operation had taken place to stabilise a fractured left leg but did not make mention of a second procedure.
Before selecting Treviso, which lies about 125 km (80 miles) from Cortina, the U.S. ski team evaluated several medical facilities. The team favoured Treviso over a closer hospital in Belluno because Treviso also maintains a neurosurgery department, the source said. Hospitals in Innsbruck and Milan were among those also considered, but Treviso was judged best equipped to handle the complexity of Vonn’s injuries.
Vonn’s determined effort to reach the start gate in spite of the serious damage to her left knee drew substantial attention at the opening of the Games. Her run ended in a fall from which she was heard to cry out in pain as she tumbled onto the snow, an outcome that has provoked questions about the process for clearing athletes to compete when they have known injuries.
Those questions touch on wider debates in elite sport over who has authority to determine whether an injured athlete is fit to race, how such decisions are made, and the messages those decisions convey about athlete welfare and risk tolerance. The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee did not reply to a request for comment on the matter.
Key takeaways:
- Vonn underwent two operations in Treviso intended to stabilise a fractured left leg and reduce risks related to swelling and blood flow.
- A joint team of local orthopaedic and plastic surgeons led the procedures, with her personal doctor in an assisting role; the hospital confirmed one stabilising operation but did not reference a second.
- The U.S. ski team chose Treviso after evaluating multiple hospitals, citing the presence of a neurosurgery department and the hospital’s capacity to manage complex injuries.