"Please stop telling me what I should or shouldn't do. When I make a decision, I will announce it", the 41-year-old athlete wrote on her X account. "I am currently focused on recovering from my injury and returning to normal life. Maybe I will compete again, maybe not. Time will tell".

Lindsey Vonn posted images of her recovery training in the U.S., less than one month after an accident that nearly cost her leg at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Vonn's accident occurred at the Winter Olympics in Italy, where she was participating in the downhill event at the Cortina d'Ampezzo ski resort. Just 13 seconds after starting, the American athlete collided with a course marker and veered off the track, resulting in a serious injury to her left leg.

According to Reuters, this accident nearly led to Vonn losing her leg. She sustained a complex fracture of her left tibia and has undergone five surgeries since the fall. After initial treatment at a hospital in Italy, Vonn was transported by ambulance to the airport and then flown back to the U.S. for continued medical care.

The athlete stated that her recovery process will be lengthy. Doctors predict it will take about one year for the bone to heal completely. After that, they will assess whether metal implants in her leg need to be removed before proceeding with further surgery to fully repair the cruciate ligament.

Before the accident, Vonn was already competing with a ligament injury. She had torn her anterior cruciate ligament during a World Cup stage just before the Olympics, but decided to compete in the Games nonetheless.

As Vonn has not announced her retirement, many people have debated her future on social media. In one exchange, a user suggested she should stop after nearly losing her leg. This comment immediately drew a response from Vonn. "I think you are confusing my ego with joy", she wrote. "I have said my whole life that I love skiing. I will rest when I am ready".

Vonn's stance is even contrary to her family's wishes. Her father, Alan Kildow, once said his daughter should end her career. "My daughter is 41 years old, and it is time to end her career", Kildow stated. "There will be no more races for Lindsey, as long as I have a say".

Despite this, Vonn still left open the possibility of a comeback. She surprised fans by posting a training video on Instagram just 25 days after the accident. In the video, she performed exercises to strengthen her thighs, shoulders, back, and core, while also treating her injured left leg. By the end of the video, Vonn was even able to stand up from her wheelchair.

Before the 2026 Olympics, Vonn was considered a medal contender despite turning 41 and having retired and then returned to competition, with her right knee having undergone ligament reconstruction. She competed in downhill skiing events.

Born in 1984, Vonn is the former girlfriend of legendary golfer Tiger Woods. In a career spanning over two decades, Vonn won a gold medal in the downhill event at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, along with two other Olympic bronze medals, in addition to 84 World Cup victories.

Hoang An (according to Bild, Reuters)