Five months after that horrific crash at the Winter Olympics, Lindsey Vonn is still battling serious injuries, telling “SportsCenter” on Friday that her left leg, which almost required amputation, still has no ACL, and her right ankle is *still* broken.
The Battle Continues: No ACL and a “Problem Child” Ankle
Seriously, folks, this is gnarly. Vonn, an Olympic gold medalist, laid it all out. Her left leg, the one she said nearly got amputated after her last downhill before the Olympics, is apparently healing “nicely,” which is wild to hear when she follows it up with, “I still have no ACL.” That ligament was torn pre-Olympics, and she competed anyway. Talk about grit! But even that isn’t her biggest headache right now. She calls her right ankle the “problem child” because it’s “still broken,” even if it doesn’t hurt as much.
She’s been showing progress on social media since crashing out in Italy, which is cool to see, but the reality check from this interview is stark. And get this: she hasn’t ruled out a return to competition once she’s fully functional. The woman is built different.
“Patience Tested”: A Rehab Journey Like No Other
Vonn knows injuries, right? Six years retired and a career full of comebacks. But this one? She said, “I’ve learned a lot about patience. I thought I knew something about it, but it really tested me in so many ways.” She felt like she was busting her butt, but the progress was agonizingly slow because bones heal differently than ligaments. This isn’t just another sprain or tear she’s used to. The pain she’s endured has been “substantially more than I’ve ever had in the past,” and the rehab process is “much longer” than anything she’s faced before.
Out and About, But The Fight Continues
Even with this brutal rehab happening at her home in Utah, Vonn hasn’t disappeared. She showed up at the Met Gala back in May, walking without crutches, and presented an award at the ESPYs earlier this week to Stephen Curry. She even did Friday’s “SportsCenter” interview from Fanatics Fest in New York, where she was on a panel with legends like Tom Brady and Serena Williams, discussing owning stakes in women’s sports teams , she’s a minority owner of the NWSL’s Utah Royals. The woman is constantly moving, constantly contributing. She was always frank about the risks, even going into the Olympics at 41 with a torn ACL, and she has “no regrets” about competing. That takes a special kind of athlete, and while her recovery is far from over, you just know she’s attacking it with everything she’s got. It’s a long road, but if anyone can walk it, it’s Lindsey Vonn.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
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