Lindsey Vonn is addressing the haters… once more.
“It wasn’t all for nothing… it wasn’t a dream… though sitting on this hospital mattress it appears distant now…,” Vonn, 41, wrote by way of Instagram on Saturday, February 21, defending her determination to compete within the 2026 Winter Olympics regardless of tearing her ACL 9 days earlier.
“However I did it. I got here again. I gained,” she continued within the caption, shared alongside a spotlight video of her current races. “I confirmed up and did what most thought was inconceivable at my age with a partial knee substitute. These recollections I’ll have endlessly and I’m grateful for each one in all them. Each second was wonderful. Each second was value it.”
After tearing her ACL in a World Cup competitors on January 30, Vonn determined to compete within the Olympics regardless of the athlete publicly confirming the ligament was “one hundred pc gone.”
Simply 13 seconds into her first run of the Video games on February 8, she broke her left tibia after clipping a flag and crashing out. She was airlifted off the course in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, and transported to a close-by hospital the place she underwent 4 surgical procedures.
She returned to the US on Tuesday, February 17, and underwent a number of further surgical procedures.
Critics jumped on Vonn after the second damage, with some claiming she mustn’t have competed within the Olympics after tearing her ACL and, as a substitute, let another person compete in her spot.
Lindsey Vonn Getty Photographs
Vonn is having none of that, itemizing out her achievements in Saturday’s Instagram put up.
“One factor that stung was when individuals stated I used to be egocentric and will give my Olympic spot to another person,” she stated within the put up. “So… I simply needed to recap my season for all of the haters on the market that don’t perceive what it means to earn your spot, and on a extra constructive notice, to simply mirror… #1 within the downhill standings; third in sg standings; 2x Downhill wins; On each downhill podium all season; 7/8 podiums general (just one 4th place).”
She continued, “It’s not inconceivable till it’s finished. I didn’t attain my final aim…. However I nonetheless did rather a lot. Thanks to those that believed! ❤️🙏🏻 #BELV.”
Vonn beforehand defended herself on social media after a number of individuals have been questioning the extent of her ACL damage, even earlier than breaking her leg on the Olympics.
“lol thanks doc,” Vonn posted by way of X on February 7, in response to a sports activities medication physician who was questioning the state of her damage. “My ACL was absolutely functioning till final Friday. Simply because it appears inconceivable to you doesn’t imply it’s not attainable. And sure, my ACL is 100% ruptured. Not 80% or 50%. It’s 100% gone.”
On Friday, Vonn shared a brand new photograph of her damaged leg, an x-ray displaying what seems to be like a medal stabilizing brace on her bone.
“As you possibly can see, it required plenty of plates and screws to place again collectively however Dr. Hackett did an unimaginable job,” Vonn posted by way of Instagram on Friday, together with a carousel of movies of her within the hospital with the x-ray photographs. “Thanks Dr. Viola for the surgical procedure help as properly!”
She acknowledged the battle of her lengthy restoration, saying she has not been on her ft in over every week.
Via all of it, she claims her second, extra grueling, damage had nothing to do together with her authentic ACL tear.
“I used to be merely 5 inches too tight on my line when my proper arm hooked inside the gate, twisting me and resulted in my crash,” she shared by way of Instagram after the crash. “My ACL and previous accidents had nothing to do with my crash in any way.”
