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Lindsey Vonn taking 'baby steps' after latest surgery that took over 6 hours: 'A lot of plates and screws'
By Ryan Morik
Published February 20, 2026
It's pretty clear that Lindsey Vonn has a long road ahead.
In one of her first runs at the Milan Cortina Olympics earlier this month, fresh off a ruptured ACL she suffered a week before the Games, Vonn fell, resulting in a compound fracture of her leg.
The 41-year-old was hoping to have some hardware around her neck, but, instead, it's now inside her body.
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Lindsey Vonn speeds down the course during alpine skiing women’s downhill official training at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Feb. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Marco Trovati)
Vonn underwent her fifth surgery Thursday, this one accompanied by "a lot of plates and screws" that took more than six hours, she announced on Instagram.
"Made it through surgery… it took a bit more than 6 hours to complete. As you can see, it required a lot of plates and screws to put back together but Dr. Hackett did an incredible job. Thank you Dr. Viola for the surgery assist as well!!" Vonn posted.
"With the extent of the trauma, I’ve been struggling a bit post op and have not yet been able to be discharged from the hospital just yet… almost there. Baby steps. Will explain the injury and what it all means soon."
The United States' Lindsey Vonn arrives at the finish area of an alpine ski women's downhill training at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Feb. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
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Vonn posted a video of herself being wheeled into another room and photos of X-rays with the plates and screws.
Vonn recently revealed her beloved dog of 13 years, Leo, died the day after her crash.
"I said goodbye to my big boy as I laid in my hospital bed," Vonn wrote on X. "Been some of the hardest days of my life and still have not begun to process his passing… I will always love you Leo."
The United States' Lindsey Vonn is airlifted after a crash during an alpine ski women's downhill race at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Feb. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
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Vonn, 41, was airlifted from an Italian mountain in a frightening scene during her downhill competition. She returned to the United States earlier this week.
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