Lindsey Vonn speaks during a U.S. Ski Team pre-tournament press conference in Schladming, Austria, two days before sustaining a season-ending knee injury. (photo: Mitchell Gunn/ESPA)
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Lindsey Vonn Undergoes Knee Surgery

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Vail, CO – Olympic champion Lindsey Vonn underwent knee surgery in Vail on Sunday to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and medial collateral ligament (MCL), and fractured tibial plateau in her knee following a crash during last week’s World Championships super G in Schladming, Austria.

Lindsey Vonn speaks during a U.S. Ski Team pre-tournament press conference in Schladming, Austria, two days before sustaining a season-ending knee injury on Feb. 5 in the FIS Alpine Ski World Championships super G. (photo: Mitchell Gunn/ESPA)
Lindsey Vonn speaks during a U.S. Ski Team pre-tournament press conference in Schladming, Austria, two days before sustaining a season-ending knee injury on Feb. 5 in the FIS Alpine Ski World Championships super G. (photo: Mitchell Gunn/ESPA)

Doctors at the Vail Valley Surgery Center report that the operation was successful and that Vonn is resting comfortably. According to U.S. Women’s Alpine Ski Team Head Physician Dr. Bill Sterett, the surgery conducted at the Vail Valley Surgery Center went well and he was optimistic for a full recovery.

“The overall success rate for ACL/MCL surgery is very good, said Dr. Bill Sterett of Vail-Summit Orthopaedics, the U.S. Women’s Alpine Ski Team head physician who performed the surgery.

While too early to issue a specific prognosis on Vonn, Sterett was optimistic for a full recovery. “Modern surgical techniques combined with aggressive rehabilitation will help Lindsey make a full recovery. She will do everything in her power to return as quickly as possible to competitive skiing,” he said.

“I can assure you that I will work as hard as humanly possible to be ready to represent my country next year in Sochi,” Vonn said last week following the accident.

Knee injuries such as this are not uncommon in ski racing. Picabo Street came back the next season after reconstructive surgery to win an Olympic gold medal in 1998 at Nagano, Japan.

Vonn had posted the fastest first interval in the championship super G race delayed multiple times by thick fog, and was having a strong run when she went down off a jump midway down the track and careened off course. She was immediately attended to by race medical officials and transported by helicopter to a nearby hospital about 12 minutes later, where she was evaluated and released before flying home to Colorado for the surgery.

The race was finally halted after 36 racers descended the course, with six — including Vonn — not finishing, leading many to question whether or not organizers should have allowed the race to take place that day.

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