U.S. skiing great Lindsey Vonn has had two operations in Italy after a serious leg fracture, a source said, to stabilize her after a horrific crash 13 seconds into one of the most hotly anticipated races at the Winter Olympics.
Vonn, 41, was flown by helicopter to the Ca’ Foncello Hospital in the city of Treviso from Cortina d’Ampezzo after her audacious bid to win downhill gold with a ruptured knee ligament ended in agony on Sunday.
She was operated on by a joint team of local orthopedic and plastic surgeons, the source close to the matter said on Monday, explaining that the procedures were intended to prevent complications linked to swelling and blood flow.
Vonn’s personal doctor was present but only assisted while Italian surgeons led the procedures, the source added.
The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee did not respond to a request for comment about the treatment for Vonn, one of the most decorated ski racers in history.
The hospital had said on Sunday that she underwent an operation to stabilize her left leg but did not mention a second procedure. She suffered the ACL injury to her left knee in late January.
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The hospital had initially said it would provide a further update on her condition at 1100 GMT on Monday but this plan was scrapped and further information was expected to come from the U.S. delegation.
A small group of reporters waited outside the hospital in Treviso, which is a short drive from Venice, but it was otherwise a regular day there with no well-wishers turning up.
The case has highlighted a debate in elite sport over who decides when an injured athlete is fit to compete and what message those decisions send.
International Ski Federation President Johan Eliasch said the competitor had to make up their own mind.
“I firmly believe that this has to be decided by the individual … And in her case, she certainly knows her injuries a lot better than anybody else,” he told reporters on Monday.
“And what is also important for people to understand that the accident that she had yesterday, she was incredibly unlucky. It was a one in a thousand. She got too close to the gate, and she got stuck when she was in the air in the gate and started rotating.”
Sebastien Amiez, a former French skier and Olympic silver medallist, said Vonn only took part in the race in Crans-Montana on January 30 where she ruptured her ACL because she had been doing so well in the World Cup.
“Her original goal was to peak at the Olympic Games. But she won early races, led the World Cup, and as a champion she wanted everything. Yesterday, unfortunately, her luck ran out — that’s how it goes,” he said.
The U.S. ski team had inspected several facilities before selecting Treviso, some 125 km (80 miles) from Cortina, favoring it over a closer hospital in Belluno because Treviso also has a neurosurgery department, the source said.
Vonn has been inundated with messages of support from the sporting world and beyond.
“You are a great inspiration and an example of perseverance,” said tennis great Rafa Nadal. “Stay strong and get well soon!”
