Lindsey Vonn shared an update on her legs post-surgery, noting the harsh reality of losing all her muscle mass after one of the most complex surgeries of her life. Vonn suffered an injury in her downhill finals at the Milan-Cortina Olympics and underwent immediate orthopedic surgery for her ACL injury after that.
Vonn has been a force to be reckoned with at the 2025-26 World Cup, her second season since her return. She became the oldest champion in alpine skiing World Cup history, earning two downhill golds in St. Moritz and Zauchensee.
Lindsey Vonn Shares an Update about Her Leg Days after Surgery
The 41-year-old capped her career in 2019, citing injuries that had plagued her throughout her career. Despite being six years away from the slopes, the American felt physically fit after her partial knee replacement surgery and believed she could have another go at the Olympics. She returned in the 2024-25 season and put the world on notice with her silver win in the Super-G finals, her first podium finish after seven years.
Vonn showcased more power in the days ahead and staged another stellar comeback in 2025-26, where she stayed consistent with her form and maintained a streak of five straight podium finishes. The results subsequently qualified her for the 2025 Olympics as the top gold medal prospect in the downhill event.
The 84-time World Cup winner pushed out of the gate, failed to get past the 13-second mark, and crashed on the course. She was airlifted to the hospital and subsequently underwent orthopedic surgery. That fall ended the dream she not only had for herself but also hoped would show the world what was possible.
Although she returned home after a successful surgery, the Olympic gold medalist shared that she lost her muscle mass, everything she had gained over the months leading up to the Olympics. She wrote:
“And just like that all my muscles are gone”
The picture she shared showed her legs, with bandages on her left leg where she had undergone ACL surgery.
Vonn has been ever grateful to her doctors and the medical team after her surgery. She even posted an Instagram video montage showing her progress with the help of doctors and nurses, clips of her weaving her magic on the slopes, and shots of her X-ray reports. Dr. Tom Hackett narrated the story of the resilient skier and how he and his team embraced the challenge of rebuilding bodies that break records.
In the caption, the 41-year-old expressed gratitude to her medical team and told her fans that they only see her in top form on the slopes, often overlooking the hours of hard work behind it. She also shared that her leg was on the verge of being amputated when Dr. Hackett came to the rescue.
