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American Olympian Lindsey Vonn fired back at critics who needled her for taking a spot on Team USA despite having a ruptured ACL and later breaking her leg.
Vonn is recovering from multiple surgeries on the broken leg she suffered in alpine skiing women’s downhill early in the Milan Cortina Olympics. She was transported back to the U.S. last week.
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Olympic athlete Lindsey Vonn, Alpine Skiing, speaks with media during the U.S. Olympic Team Media Summit in preparation for the 2026 Milan Olympic Winter Games at Javits Center on Oct. 28, 2025. (Vincent Carchietta/Imagn Images)
She said her push for an Olympics appearance at age 41 “wasn’t all for nothing.”
“It was everything. And it wasn’t a dream… although sitting in this hospital bed it seems far away now…” she captioned a video posted on her Instagram.
“But I did it. I came back. I won. I showed up and did what most thought was impossible at my age with a partial knee replacement. These memories I’ll have forever and I’m grateful for every one of them. Every moment was amazing. Every moment was worth it.
United States’ Lindsey Vonn concentrates ahead of an alpine ski, women’s downhill official training, at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Marco Trovati)
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“One thing that stung was when people said I was selfish and should give my Olympic spot to someone else.”
Vonn recalled being one of the top World Cup skiers during the season before she made Team USA. She was first in the downhill and third in super-G standings. She made the podium in seven out of eight events.
“It’s not impossible until it’s done. I didn’t reach my ultimate goal…. But I still did a lot,” she added. “Thank you to those who believed.”
United States’ Lindsey Vonn arrives at the finish area of an alpine ski women’s downhill training, at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
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Vonn has been posting updates on her recovery since she was in an Italian hospital. She said last week she hadn’t been on her feet since the injury.
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