Lindsey Vonn reveals her ankle is 'still broken' 5 months after horror Olympic crash
Phoebe Tonks
Featured Image Credit: Arturo Holmes/FilmMagic
U.S. alpine skiing legend Lindsey Vonn has left fans completely stunned after making a glittering red carpet appearance at the 2026 ESPY Awards, where she casually revealed her right ankle is 'still broken' five months on from her devastating Winter Olympics accident.
The decorated three-time Olympic medalist made a stunning entrance at the star-studded sports ceremony in Los Angeles, turning heads in a breathtaking, one-shouldered black sequined Gucci gown.
However, despite looking absolutely radiant under the flashbulbs, the 41-year-old was incredibly candid about the agonizing reality of her ongoing medical rehabilitation.
Speaking in a red carpet interview with People, the iconic champion admitted that while she has finally reached a major milestone of getting back into the gym, her body is still a very long way from being fully healed.
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"I'm working out in the gym finally, which has been a huge step forward for me, but it's been a very slow process," Vonn confessed.
"It's been five months since I've been able to actually go to the gym in a somewhat meaningful way, and walking is still actually really hard for me."
The legendary racer then dropped the ultimate bombshell regarding her physical state, adding: "My ankle is still broken, but you know, one thing at a time. My leg is healing, and that's important."
Stepping out on the red carpet was also a huge moment for Vonn, as she had been unable to walk for months following her injury.
“I was in a wheelchair for so long, I was on crutches for so long,” Vonn confessed.
She added, “It was honestly almost three and a half months that I was unable to walk unassisted. I got very emotional when I was able to walk on my own.”
Vonn’s painful recovery follows a truly horrifying high-speed wipeout during the women's downhill event at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics on February 8. Just 13 seconds into her highly anticipated run, Vonn crashed violently into a safety gate at nearly 60 mph, shattering her left leg and breaking her right ankle.
The catastrophic incident was further complicated by the fact that she had ruptured the ACL in her left knee just nine days prior during a practice run in Switzerland, yet she still courageously chose to compete.
The aftermath of the crash was a medical nightmare; Vonn required five separate surgeries and narrowly escaped having her left leg amputated after developing compartment syndrome—a life-threatening build-up of muscle pressure that required an emergency surgical fasciotomy.
Despite the extreme trauma, the five-time Olympian’s trademark resilience was on full display as she navigated the star-studded evening.
While she conceded that she is taking things day by day, her refusal to let the slow-healing fractures dull her shine has once again cemented her status as one of the toughest competitors in sporting history.