Vonn has ninth operation after Olympic crash

Lindsey Vonn has had her ninth operation following a crash in the Olympic downhill at the 2026 Winter Games, where she broke her leg and ankle. The surgery is intended to remove hardware fitted during earlier procedures and repair her left knee’s anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), with Vonn hoping it will be her last operation.

The 42-year-old said her bones had healed after nine months, but ACL recovery could take another six to nine months. She crashed 13 seconds into her run in Cortina, nine days after rupturing knee ligaments. Vonn, the 2010 Olympic downhill champion, retired in 2019 and returned to racing in 2024; she has won 84 World Cup races, second on the women’s all-time list behind Mikaela Shiffrin.