Lindsey Vonn was released from a hospital in Italy on Sunday morning and headed to the airport to return to the United States, Reuters reported.
Vonn was admitted to Ca’ Foncello Hospital in Treviso after a devastating crash during the women’s downhill at the Milan Cortina Olympics on February 8.
The 41-year-old had come out of retirement to race in the Winter Games.
Since the crash, she has undergone four surgeries on her injured left leg. It happened when her arm hooked around a fence, sending her flying into the snow and causing a complex tibia fracture just 13 seconds into the race.
Vonn was competing with a torn ACL in her left knee, suffered nine days prior to her event in the final tune-up race in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, the final hurdle in an injury-plagued career that saw her win three Olympic medals (one gold) and more than 80 World Cup races before initially retiring in 2019.
Vonn still appeared to be in medal contention, finishing with the third-best time in the final training run.
Daniel Kopatsch/VOIGT via Getty Images
She had been aiming to become the oldest alpine skiing medalist in Winter Olympics history. She won two downhill races on the World Cup circuit this season and finished on the podium in three others.
It is unclear whether she will need to be hospitalized in the United States right away, but she is expected to undergo more surgeries.
In an Instagram post on Saturday, Vonn said she was happy to return home, but was thoughtful about the race that put her in the hospital. And she vowed to return to the slopes.
“I have read many messages and comments saying that what happened to me makes them sad. Please don’t be sad. I welcome empathy, love and support with an open heart, but please no sadness or sympathy. I hope instead it gives you the strength to keep fighting because that is what I do and that is what I will continue to do. Always,” she said in her lengthy message.
“When I think back to my crash, I wasn’t standing in the starting gate unaware of the possible consequences. I knew what I was doing. I chose to take a risk. Every skier in that starting gate took the same risk. Because even if you are the strongest person in the world, the mountain always holds the cards.”
″…So please, don’t feel sad. The ride was worth the fall. When I close my eyes at night, I have no regrets and the love I have for skiing remains. I’m still looking forward to the moment when I can stand on top of the mountain again. And I will do that too.”
