Lindsey Vonn back in US, grateful for Italian help in recovery

Although she's still bed-ridden and immobile, Lindsey Vonn is back in the United States after spending a week in an Italian hospital.

The American skier announced the news on her X account Sunday evening as she continues her recovery from a fractured tibia sustained while competing in the downhill race at the Milan Cortina Olympics on Feb. 8.

"Haven't stood on my feet in over a week... been in a hospital bed immobile since my race. And although I'm not yet able to stand, being back on home soil feels amazing," Vonn posted.

"Huge thank you to everyone in Italy for taking good care of me."

The 41-year-old, who came out of retirement in 2024 to race in these Olympics, has had four surgeries on her injured left leg since the crash. It occurred when her arm hooked around a gate, sending her flying into the snow and causing a complex tibia fracture just 13 seconds into the race.

Vonn was competing through a torn ACL in her left knee sustained nine days prior to her event in the final tune-up race at Crans-Montana, Switzerland, the latest 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 appeared to still be in medal contention, finishing with the third-best time in the final training run.

She had been striving 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.

Vonn had previously said in a social media video before her release from Ca' Foncello Hospital in Treviso that she would likely need a fifth surgery once she made it back to the U.S. She didn't share in her latest update if that is still the case.

--Field Level Media