Lindsey Vonn on Crutches in NYC, Not Ready to Make Racing Decision Yet

Lindsey Vonn made a public appearance in New York City on Thursday, April 30, navigating the streets on crutches as she participated in press activities. The 41-year-old alpine skier wore a striking red suit over a black bra with black heels for the outing.

The Olympic athlete has been recovering from a devastating crash that occurred just 13 seconds into the women's downhill skiing competition at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan this past February. The incident left her with a complex left leg fracture, requiring eight surgical procedures thus far, with additional recovery ahead.

During an interview with The Associated Press, Vonn addressed the question many have been asking: will she compete again? Her answer reflected the uncertainty she's experiencing in the aftermath of the crash.

"I just don't want to jump to any conclusions or even speculate on what I might do," she stated. "I may retire. I may never race again and that would be completely fine, but I'm not in a position emotionally to make that decision at this point."

While Vonn has previously bounced back from various injuries throughout her career, she emphasized that this particular injury stands apart in its severity and impact. "It's a much different injury in that way, again, like the severity of the injury and understanding that I could have lost my leg and how bad things were," she explained. "I can deal with a lot of pain, but this was so extreme. It's not even been in the universe of pain with this injury as what I've had before."

Her recovery trajectory has shown improvement. She has transitioned from a wheelchair to crutches and anticipates being able to walk short distances beginning the following week. However, Vonn and her medical team are currently focused on this phase of rehabilitation rather than discussing a potential return to the slopes.

Looking ahead, Vonn outlined the timeline for any future competitive aspirations. "Regardless, nothing would really happen until '27-28 because I still have one more surgery left to take out the metal and to replace my ACL. That still needs to happen," she said. "Once I get my ACL fixed, then that's another six months, so I have at least I would say a year and a half ahead of me before I could really be back to 100%, even just training in the gym."

When asked about wanting a fresh start, Vonn rejected the notion. "Downhill skiing is one of the most dangerous sports in the world, and that's a risk that I've always taken happily, and this is the result, and I don't regret it," she noted. "I don't want a do-over."

For now, her focus remains singular: restoring her physical health. "I'm still, like I said, in survival mode that I just want to get through this phase and be able to assess where I am in my life," she shared. "And take count of what I've done and take count of what could be and make decisions in a much better place than where I am now."

She stressed the importance of patience with herself regarding any major life decisions. "I don't want to make a decision now because I think that would be rash and probably too emotional and I don't want to make a mistake, you know?" she added.