Why Lindsey Vonn was allowed to compete at Olympics despite painful injury

Over the weekend, Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn suffered a cataclysmic mid-air collision with a slalom gate before being airlifted from the Cortina slopes.

Days prior to the commencement of the Winter Games, the American athlete had undergone a number of extensive surgeries on her leg.

Naturally, this week's crash has sparked outrage amongst onlookers as to why Olympic organisers allowed Vonn to compete in such a fragile state.

For those who missed it, the 41-year-old represented Team USA during the women's downhill skiing final on Sunday (8 Feb).

Just 13 seconds into the race, however, Vonn clipped a gate on the piste and was sent somersaulting off the course.

Attendees watched on as the American was left unable to move for several minutes, after which Vonn was airlifted from the mountains to a hospital in Treviso.

Vonn clipped a gate 13 seconds into the race (IOC via Getty Images)

There, she has since undergone 'multiple surgeries', after suffering a 'complex tibia fracture'. One of these procedures, Ca’ Foncello Hospital later confirmed in a statement given to Olympics.com, was 'orthopaedic surgery to stabilise a fracture in her left leg'.

"Lindsey Vonn sustained an injury," a spokesperson for US Ski and Snowboard Team also shared on X, "but is in stable condition and in good hands with a team of American and Italian physicians."

Vonn had retired from competitive skiing in 2019 following a series of injuries, but returned to the sport in April 2024 after a partial knee replacement, going on to win two World Cup events.

This week's incident at Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre occurred just over a week after Vonn first damaged her ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) following a fall at a World Cup race at Crans-Montana.

Vonn was airlifted off the slopes (Al Bello/Getty Images)

Prior to the crash, a number of sporting representatives voiced their concern.

Ex-Olympic champion Michaela Dorfmeister called for her removal on the basis that her knee would be considered a risk. Suggesting that Vonn 'see a psychologist', she asked: "Does she want to kill herself?"

Board-certified orthopaedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist, Clint Soppe, also claimed he was 'very surprised' to hear the American would be competing at this year's Games.

"It’s atypical to be able to compete without an ACL, at anything," he noted in conversion with the Los Angeles Times. "But especially at a high level like Lindsey Vonn’s going to compete at."

In the wake of this weekend's collision, spectators have questioned the safety of competing athletes who previously might have endured serious injury and undergone recent surgery.

Vonn underwent surgery a week prior to the crash (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

"She could have made a powerful statement about listening to your body, acknowledging the body has limits, accepting those, and showing young people that your health is more important than sport," one Reddit user hit out. "Instead she chose to ski on a torn ACL and broke her leg."

Another user questioned: "She had every right to compete but for what? I respect her determination and hard head but even if her ACL didn’t have anything to do with the specific incident; could it have been prevented or less severe if she had two strong legs?

"Did she came too close and followed that line because one leg had to compensate for the other?"

Despite this, Vonn insisted prior to the collision she'd 'always pushed the limits' when it came to her Olympic ambition.

"It’s a very dangerous sport and anything can happen," she told press earlier this week. "Because I push the limits, I crash.

"And I’ve been injured more times than I would like to admit, to myself even."

A number of fellow athletes have spoken out in Vonn's defence (IOC via Getty Images)

Following the crash, she also shared an Instagram statement, claiming he has 'no regrets' over her decision to compete.

"Yesterday my Olympic dream did not finish the way I dreamt it would," Vonn began. "It wasn't a story book ending or a fairy tale, it was just life. Unfortunately, I sustained a complex tibia fracture that is currently stable but will require multiple surgeries to fix properly.

"While yesterday did not end the way I had hoped, and despite the intense physical pain it caused, I have no regrets."

A number of health experts have also spoken out in Vonn's defence.

Asked beforehand whether she should be allowed to compete, orthopaedist Christopher C. Annunziata pointed out to The Athletic that Vonn's injury had previously permitted her to do box jumps and lift weights.

"The amount of muscular development and body control that she has is exceptional and different from most other people," the medic explained.

Vonn had originally retired from skiing in 2019 (Al Bello/Getty Images)

Vonn's fellow American downhill skier, Kyle Negomir also emphasised something in the wake of the collision: "Lindsey's a grown woman and the best speed skier to ever do this sport. If she made her decision, I think she should absolutely be allowed to take that risk.

"She's obviously good enough that she's capable of pulling it off."

He added, as per NBC: "Just because it happened to not pan out yesterday doesn't mean that it definitely wasn't a possibility that she could just crush it and have a perfect run."

Federica Brignone, an Italian skier who went head-to-head with Vonn on Sunday, added: "It's her choice. If it's your body, then you decide what to do, whether to race or not.

"It's not up to others. Only you."