American skiing legend Lindsey Vonn suffered a complex tibia fracture during the women's downhill competition at the Winter Olympics in Cortina. The 41-year-old veteran crashed just 13 seconds into her run when her arm got stuck in a gate, throwing her off balance. She required extensive treatment on the slope before being airlifted to Ca Foncello hospital in Treviso for surgery on her fractured left leg.

Vonn was already competing with ruptured ligaments in her left knee, having torn her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) just nine days earlier in Switzerland. Despite the injury, she chose to race in her fifth and final Olympic Games, determined to pursue her dream. The two-time world champion emphasized that her previous injuries, including a partial right knee replacement, had nothing to do with the crash.

In an emotional Instagram post, Vonn expressed no regrets about her decision to compete, calling the experience of standing in the starting gate 'an incredible feeling' she'll never forget. Her bravery has drawn both praise and criticism, with some questioning the risks of competing with such significant injuries. 'I dared to dream and had worked so hard to achieve it,' Vonn said, adding that 'the only failure in life is not trying.'