Lindsey Vonn cleared to return to U.S. after fourth surgery following Olympic crash

Lindsey Vonn announced Saturday that her fourth surgery was successful and that she has been cleared to return to the United States following a crash during her opening downhill race at the Winter Olympics in Italy.

"Surgery went well today!" the 41-year-old wrote on social media. "Thankfully I will be able to finally go back to the US."

Vonn broke her left leg in the crash last Sunday at the Milan Cortina Olympics, occurring 13.4 seconds into her downhill run. She was airlifted off the course at Cortina d'Ampezzo following the incident. The tibia fracture has required multiple surgical interventions since the injury.

The fourth procedure on Saturday came three days after her previous surgery. Vonn had disclosed Wednesday that she had already undergone three surgeries since the Feb. 8 crash. On Friday, she indicated she would need at least two more surgeries — the one performed Saturday and a second after returning to the United States.

Once back in the U.S., Vonn said she plans to provide "more updates and info about my injury." She indicated additional procedures on her broken left leg await her return home.

Vonn competed in the downhill despite rupturing her left anterior cruciate ligament nine days before the Olympics. She had come out of retirement in 2024 following successful partial knee replacement surgery and had become the world's dominant downhill skier prior to the crash.

In a social media post reflecting on the incident, Vonn stated she does not have regrets about competing. "The ride was worth the fall," she wrote. "When I close my eyes at night I don't have regrets and the love I have for skiing remains."