Lindsey Vonn Faces Another 9 Months of Recovery After Ninth Surgery Since Olympics Crash

Nine months after a crash at the Winter Olympics left her with a severely injured leg, Lindsey Vonn is facing another surgery. And this time, she's hoping it will be the last.

The 42-year-old skiing legend underwent her ninth operation on Monday, Nov. 9, continuing a recovery that has already consumed much of her year. The procedure is another major step toward repairing the damage from her crash at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, but it also means another six to nine months of rehabilitation.

For Vonn, who has spent much of her life recovering from injuries only to return to the slopes, the latest operation carries a different kind of weight.

She isn't preparing for another race. She's hoping to put the aftermath of her Olympic comeback behind her.

"This will be my 9th surgery and I’m praying my last," Vonn wrote on Instagram ahead of the procedure.

Lindsey Vonn Shares Emotional Message Before Ninth Surgery

Vonn recorded a video for her followers to watch while she was undergoing surgery, explaining why the procedure had been weighing on her mind.

"This day has been looming on my calendar for a while now... and the time has finally come," she wrote. "I’ve been nervous and anxious about it...but at the same time excited to hopefully put this behind me."

The operation was intended to address two injuries that have complicated her recovery since February.

Vonn tore her ACL during a World Cup race just a week before the Olympics. She decided to compete anyway, only to suffer a devastating crash during the women's downhill event on Feb. 8.

The crash left her with a complex fracture of her tibia, requiring multiple operations to stabilize the bone.

Now that the fracture has healed, Vonn's doctors can turn their attention to the ACL injury that was never repaired.

In her video, Vonn explained that surgeons planned to remove the plates and screws used to stabilize her leg before reconstructing the torn ligament.

"I’ve been waiting all of these nine months so my bone could heal and we could fix the ACL, and my bones healed, which is great news," she said.

That progress comes with another difficult reality: Once the procedure is complete, Vonn expects to begin a new stretch of rehabilitation lasting six to nine months.

Even then, she knows the outcome isn't entirely predictable.

"There are still things that could change in surgery, so we will have to wait and see how it goes," she wrote, promising to update her followers when she was recovering.

Lindsey Vonn's Long Road Back From Her Olympics Crash

The latest operation comes after months in which Vonn has worked to reclaim pieces of her life outside competitive skiing.

She's returned to working out, traveled and attended major events, including making her runway debut in Paris in September. Those milestones have offered glimpses of progress, even as another surgery remained on the calendar.

Vonn has also been candid about the emotional toll of recovering from an injury that required repeated operations.

Speaking to People before this latest procedure, she reflected on finally feeling comfortable enough to show the scars on her leg during the Paris fashion show, knowing another surgery would reopen them.

"Back to square one, but it’s okay. It happens. It’s life. We’ll move forward," she said.

That perspective has been central to her recovery. Vonn has endured serious injuries throughout her career, including multiple knee operations, but the consequences of her Olympic crash have extended well beyond the competition itself.

Before Monday's procedure, she thanked her doctors, nurses, physical therapist and medical staff, along with the supporters who have followed her recovery.

She also shared a line from her mother that seemed especially meaningful on another difficult day.

"As my Mother said, 'Today is another great day!'... I hope she’s right," Vonn wrote.

After nine surgeries and nine months of uncertainty, Vonn is looking toward a future that doesn't revolve around another operating room.

For now, though, the next chapter begins with recovery.

Add us as a preferred source on Google