Lindsey Vonn says she nearly had her leg amputated

Lindsey Vonn said a fasciotomy performed by Dr. Tom Hackett prevented the amputation of her left leg after a crash at the 2026 Winter Olympics; she has been discharged from the hospital and is recovering with limited mobility.

Lindsey Vonn said she nearly lost her left leg after a crash during the women's downhill at the 2026 Winter Olympics. She spoke in an Instagram video after being released from the hospital and described the injury as the most painful and challenging she has faced. Vonn credited her surgeon with an operation that she said prevented amputation. Known details: - Vonn crashed in the Olympic downhill and sustained complex fractures to her left leg. - She developed compartment syndrome and said Dr. Tom Hackett performed a fasciotomy that she credited with preventing an amputation. - Hackett later performed a multi-hour surgery in the United States, and Vonn said she required a blood transfusion due to low hemoglobin. - Vonn also reported a right ankle injury; she has been discharged, will use a wheelchair for a period, and said she expects to move to crutches in about two months. Summary: Vonn expressed gratitude to the medical team and described the episode as an extreme physical challenge. She is now out of the hospital and beginning a recovery period with limited mobility; a longer rehabilitation timeline was not specified.