Lindsey Vonn can finally leave hospital after her serious leg fracture. But for the US ski icon, the long road back is just beginning, as she explains in a detailed statement.
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- Lindsey Vonn has left hospital after a serious fall at the Winter Games in Italy, after doctors were able to save her leg from amputation at the last minute.
- The 41-year-old is in a wheelchair for the time being, reports great pain and emotional moments and faces a healing process of around a year with further operations.
- In addition to the complicated leg fracture, Vonn also suffered a broken ankle and required a vital blood transfusion after an operation.
Lindsey Vonn has been discharged from hospital following her serious fall in the Olympic downhill in Cortina d'Ampezzo. The US American spoke at length for the first time on her social media channels on Monday afternoon - and spoke openly about her serious leg injury.
In addition to the broken leg, Vonn also suffered a broken ankle in the crash. After one of her several operations, she also needed a vital blood transfusion because her haemoglobin levels had plummeted. "It was the most extreme, the most painful, the most challenging injury I've suffered in my entire life," says Vonn.
The 41-year-old suffered a comminuted fracture to her lower left leg during her fall. In a video lasting just under five minutes, she now describes her current situation and looks ahead to a long rehabilitation phase. She emphasizes that Doctor Tom Hackett "saved her leg".
Long recovery phase begins
Due to the complexity of the injury, a compartment syndrome had developed - a serious circulatory disorder that can cause nerve and muscle damage. According to Vonn, she was therefore on the verge of losing her leg.
She is currently in a wheelchair and will remain so for some time to come. "It will be a long road, but I have always fought," says the US-American. "I have no regrets. Of course I would have liked a different ending - but I'd rather go down fighting."
It will take around a year for all the bones to heal completely. After that, she will decide whether to remove the inserted metal. She will then have another operation to repair her cruciate ligament. "That's life. You have to take the blows as they come."
