Lindsey Vonn says she is “slowly coming back to life” after undergoing four surgeries following her crash at the Winter Olympics in Italy.
The American skiing legend was airlifted to hospital after falling during the downhill competition on the second day of the Games.
Vonn, 41, had been attempting to become the oldest Alpine skiing medallist in Winter Olympics history.
Her campaign ended prematurely after she suffered a leg injury that required multiple operations.
It was also revealed she had ruptured her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in the days leading up to the event.
‘Back to basics’
Vonn has now been released from hospital in Italy and is preparing to return to the United States to continue her rehabilitation.
The four-time overall World Cup champion shared a video on social media documenting the early stages of her recovery.
“Thankful for friends, family, my team and all the medical staff that are getting me back to myself,” Vonn wrote on Instagram.
“I’m slowly coming back to life, back to basics and the simple things in life that mean the most. Smile. Laugh. Love.”
She revealed the video was compiled by her sister, Karin Kildow, adding that watching it “instantly made me cry”.
Retirement fears
The former Olympic champion now faces a rehabilitation period of up to 11 months.
Her father, Alan Kildow, has suggested this latest setback marks the end of her competitive career.
“She’s 41 years old and this is the end of her career,” Kildow told The Associated Press.
“There will be no more ski races for Lindsey Vonn, as long as I have anything to say about it.”
He added that his daughter is “handling it real well” and understands the severity of her physical situation.
Freestyle skier Eileen Gu has been confirmed as the highest-paid athlete at the 2026 Winter Olympics, earning $23m (£16.9m) to eclipse top NHL stars.
The 22-year-old tops the rich list in Milan Cortina despite earning relatively modest sums from competition prize money.
Forbes estimates that while her sporting winnings totalled roughly $100,000 over the past year, her commercial portfolio generated the vast majority of her wealth.
Commercial dominance in Milan
Gu represents a financial anomaly at a Games where many athletes struggle for funding.
The California-born star, who competes for China, has secured lucrative partnerships with major brands including Anta and Luckin Coffee.
Her annual income places her ahead of Team USA ice hockey captain Auston Matthews.
The Toronto Maple Leafs centre earns $20m (£14.7m) and is the highest-paid among the 146 NHL players competing in Italy.
Alpine skiing icon Lindsey Vonn also features among the top earners, securing approximately $8m (£5.9m) through her various business endeavours.
In stark contrast, other gold medal winners like German bobsledder Lisa Buckwitz have utilised subscription platforms to fund their Olympic campaigns.
Defending Olympic crowns
Gu returns to the Olympic stage looking to replicate her historic performance from four years ago.
She became the first freestyle skier to win three medals at a single Games, claiming gold in big air and halfpipe.
The defending champion will also aim to improve upon the silver medal she secured in the slopestyle event.
Her decision to represent her mother’s native China rather than the United States remains a talking point in winter sports.
The U.S. already has the representation. I like building my own pond.
Eileen Gu
Recent form suggests she remains the athlete to beat, having collected $55,000 for a victory in the Snow League in December.
The Winter Olympics women’s freestyle skiing Big Air final involving Team GB’s Kirsty Muir has been delayed due to severe blizzard conditions in the Italian Alps.
Muir qualified fourth for Monday’s showpiece event, sitting just behind slopestyle medallists Megan Oldham, Eileen Gu and Mathilde Gremaud.
However, organisers have been forced to push back the start time by at least 90 minutes because of the extreme weather in Livigno.
Alpine conditions wreak havoc
Heavy snowfall and high winds have plagued the region throughout the day, making the course unsafe for competition.
Visibility dropped significantly as night fell on the venue, which sits nearly 2,000ft higher than neighbouring Bormio.
Ground staff have attempted to clear the landing zones with leaf blowers, but the persistent precipitation has rendered those efforts largely fruitless.
Officials initially postponed the event by 30 minutes before extending the delay to try and wait out the storm.
Slalom stars struggle in snow
The adverse weather also severely impacted the men’s slalom event earlier in the day on the Stelvio piste.
Only 44 of the 96 racers on the start list managed to complete the first run amidst the whiteout.
Several major contenders failed to navigate the course, including giant slalom champion Lucas Pinheiro Braathen.
While conditions eventually improved for the alpine skiers in Bormio, the situation deteriorated rapidly 35km away at the snowboarding and freeski venue.
The Big Air final is tentatively rescheduled to start at 20:00 GMT, though further postponements remain possible if the blizzard does not abate.
The British teenager will be hoping the event goes ahead as she looks to build on her impressive performance in the slopestyle, where she finished just outside the podium places.
Norwegian skier Atle Lie McGrath was left distraught after crashing out of the men’s slalom while leading, missing the chance for an Olympic gold medal.
The 24-year-old was the last racer down the Stelvio course, having set the fastest pace in the first run.
A medal appeared within his sights until he straddled a gate, instantly ending his contention for the podium.
In a raw display of emotion, the Norwegian tossed his ski poles over the safety netting before climbing the perimeter fencing.
He walked away from the course into the nearby woods, where he was later checked on by medical staff.
McGrath eventually returned to the finish area but departed without speaking to the media.
Emotional toll of Olympic pressure
While Switzerland’s Loic Meillard claimed the victory, the focus remained on the devastated first-run leader.
The incident compounded a difficult Games for the skier, who had been mourning the recent death of his grandfather.
McGrath had worn a black armband during the competition to honour his late relative, who passed away on the day of the opening ceremony.
The slalom specialist had been under immense pressure following a challenging fortnight in Beijing.
‘Just heartbreaking’
Teammate Timon Haugan, who finished fourth, described the turn of events as painful to watch.
“He’s doing everything perfect,” Haugan said.
“He did a very good first run, put himself in a position to win the Olympic gold.”
“He does everything right and then that happens in 15 seconds. It is just heartbreaking.”
Bronze medallist Henrik Kristoffersen defended his compatriot’s outburst, having suffered a similar fate at the Pyeongchang Games in 2018.
“That’s allowed. This is sports. What are sports without the emotions?” Kristoffersen asked.
“In the end, it’s not going to make or break Atle’s career. He is a great skier.”
“If he keeps going like he’s going, he will have great success for the future.”
Even the victor, Meillard, acknowledged the brutal nature of the discipline.
“The beauty of slalom is that when it works out it’s beautiful,” the Swiss champion said.
“I was definitely sorry for him, but at the end, all the times he won when I skied out – that’s part of the game.”
Lindsey Vonn has vowed she will stand on a mountain top again after undergoing successful surgery on a complex leg fracture suffered at the Winter Olympics.
The 41-year-old confirmed she is finally cleared to travel back to the United States following acute treatment in Treviso.
Vonn sustained a complex tibia fracture last Sunday, crashing just 13 seconds into her downhill run before being airlifted from the course.
A complex road to recovery
This latest procedure marks the American’s third operation since the incident.
She previously admitted the injury would require multiple surgeries to fix properly.
The setback is particularly cruel for the speed specialist, who had only recently emerged from a six-year retirement.
Just nine days prior to the leg break, the four-time World Cup overall champion had ruptured the ACL in her left knee in a separate crash.
‘I chose to take a risk’
Despite the severity of her injuries, the skiing legend has rejected sympathy from fans.
When I think back on my crash, I didn’t stand in the starting gate unaware of the potential consequences.
I knew what I was doing. I chose to take a risk.
Lindsey Vonn, via Instagram
She urged supporters not to feel sadness, but rather to find strength in her determination.
Conflict over the future
The skier’s determination appears to clash with the wishes of her family.
Her father, Alan Kildow, recently told the press that his daughter would no longer race if he had any influence over the decision.
However, the Minnesota native seems intent on defying those expectations one more time.
Concluding her update, she insisted she is still looking forward to the moment she can return to the peaks.
Sweden have claimed an incredible silver medal in the women’s cross-country ski final after Frida Karlsson completed a heroic comeback following a bizarre crash involving teammate Ebba Andersson.
It was a race defined by a moment of panic rather than pure pace for the Scandinavian quartet.
Andersson, skiing a pivotal leg, suffered a collision that resulted in her losing one of her skis in the deep snow.
Chaos on the course
In scenes rarely witnessed at this elite level, Andersson was forced to run while clutching her detached equipment under her arm.
The incident cost the team valuable time and appeared to have dashed their hopes of a podium finish.
However, the despair was temporary as the race transitioned into its final stages.
Karlsson’s heroic recovery
Frida Karlsson produced a stunning performance on the anchor leg to rescue the situation.
The Swedish star surged through the field, erasing the deficit caused by the earlier equipment malfunction.
Her resilience ensured that a potential disaster was transformed into a celebration of silver, securing a place on the rostrum against the odds.
Jakara Anthony has etched her name in the history books as the first-ever Olympic champion in women’s dual moguls, surviving a chaotic final to defeat Team USA’s Jaelin Kauf.
History made on the slopes
The Australian sensation delivered a masterclass in composure while chaos unfolded around her on the unforgiving course.
As competitors struggled with the high-octane head-to-head format, the mogul specialist remained flawless in her pursuit of glory.
This victory secures her status as the inaugural queen of the discipline at the Winter Games.
It was a performance defined by technical precision rather than the spills that plagued her opponents.
American duo denied
Despite a formidable challenge from the United States, the stars and stripes could not quite reach the summit of the podium.
Jaelin Kauf threw everything at the course but ultimately had to settle for the silver medal.
Her compatriot Elizabeth Lemley ensured two Americans would stand on the rostrum by securing the bronze.
However, the night belonged entirely to the relentless Australian, who left the rest of the field trailing in her wake.
American figure skater Maxim Naumov has fulfilled a heartbreaking promise to his late parents by completing an emotional Olympic debut just over a year after they were killed in a plane crash.
A tribute beyond scores
The 24-year-old finished his free skate on Friday night in a moment that transcended sport.
It came just over a year after Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov perished in the American Airlines Flight 5342 disaster near Washington, D.C.
The performance was not technically flawless.
Naumov fell twice on his quad salchows and produced an uneven display throughout the routine.
But the point total was merely a footnote to the occasion.
As the programme concluded, a packed crowd inside the Milano Ice Skating Arena rose for a thunderous standing ovation.
Among those applauding the US skater was actor Jeff Goldblum.
“I hope I made everyone proud,” Naumov said.
“I’m so thankful and grateful for my team that’s been supporting me, from my friends to my family to my coaching staff and everybody.
“Just thank you, everyone.”
Carrying the torch
The Skating Club of Boston athlete has taken on more than just his parents’ competitive legacy.
He now runs ‘Tomorrow’s Champions’, the youth academy founded by the former world pairs champions.
His students were present in Milan, sitting just above the kiss-and-cry area.
They waved a homemade sign with red and blue lettering that read: “Let’s Go Coach Max!”
“Hey, what’s up, guys!?” the Olympian beamed, waving to his pupils.
Skating through grief
The routine was set to ‘In This Shirt’ by The Irrepressibles.
It is a mournful ballad reflecting themes of loss that the skater knows all too well.
“I am lost in a rainbow,” the lyrics rang out. “Now our rainbow is gone.”
Naumov had finished fourth at the national championships in Wichita last January before the tragedy struck.
His parents had stayed behind to participate in a youth development camp.
Their flight was carrying more than two dozen members of the figure skating community when it crashed into the Potomac River.
In the immediate aftermath, simple tasks like getting out of bed seemed insurmountable.
He admitted in an interview with the Associated Press that he felt he “just wanted to rot”.
Fulfilling a shared dream
Looking at photographs remains difficult for the young American.
He brought a picture from a family album to the kiss-and-cry area, though video footage of his parents still reduces him to tears.
Yet, he found a purpose in lacing up his skates once more.
His goal was to honour a dream shared with his mother and father.
They had finished fifth at the 1992 Albertville Games and fourth at Lillehammer in 1994.
Now, their son has followed in their footsteps on the world’s biggest stage.