Four months ago, Lindsey Vonn faced one of the worst situations of her career. Her Olympic dream ended at the 2026 Winter Games, when she crashed during the women’s downhill race and sustained a horrific leg injury that needed eight surgeries. Vonn spent almost 10 days in a hospital bed, unable to stand. Many wondered when or even if she would return to her active lifestyle. But now, Vonn has shared an update showing just how far she has come since that life-changing crash.

On Thursday, Vonn shared an Instagram post that was beyond assuring. The first clip shows her on an inflatable training mat, holding a partial squat while smiling as she steadies herself. The next clip features balance drills on the same unstable surface — slow and focused. Then comes a gym selfie, followed by clips of Bulgarian split squats and heel-elevated squats, and other workout segments. Aside from her work ethic, it was the Olympian’s enthusiasm that caught attention.

She captioned it: “The face I make when I can actually workout in the gym!😄🙌🏻💪🏻 Makes me so happy and excited I can’t even put it into words!”

Behind that joy sits a recovery that was anything but simple. The crash left her with a shattered tibia, along with fibula and ankle fractures, and severe soft tissue damage that she once described as her leg being “in pieces.” Things escalated further when she developed compartment syndrome.

Without fast treatment, it can lead to permanent damage or even amputation. An emergency fasciotomy was performed to relieve that pressure, and her surgeon, Dr. Tom Hackett, later said it saved her leg.

The first days after surgery were spent in a wheelchair, followed by an electric scooter, before she slowly moved into rehab. Within three to four weeks, she began light upper-body and seated exercises, while her leg continued to heal. Then came a big moment in April, her first public movement in New York, where she was seen walking short distances with crutches during media appearances.

By May, at the Met Gala, she reached another milestone, walking without crutches but needing assistance with stairs. More recently, she has been seen walking without visible support at the Monaco Grand Prix. But with each new step forward, one question naturally follows. Could she make a return to competitive skiing once again?

Is another Lindsey Vonn comeback still possible?

Lindsey Vonn first retired in February 2019 at the age of 34 after a long battle with injuries. Despite leaving the sport, she continued to deal with daily pain that followed her for a long time. Everything changed in 2024. Vonn had a partial knee replacement using titanium.  For the first time in years, she was able to move without the pain. The recovery fueled her renewed faith, and in November 2024, she declared her comeback to competition.

Soon after, she won her 83rd World Cup race in St. Moritz and her 84th in Altenmarkt-Zauchensee. Those results earned her a place on Team USA, and by December 2025, she had officially secured qualification for the Milano Cortina Olympics. It would have been her fifth Olympic appearance. But just weeks later, her comeback took a painful turn. During the final World Cup downhill before the Winter Olympics, Vonn’s leap ended with her suffering a torn ACL in Switzerland. She had to be airlifted to a hospital, casting major doubts on her future.

Despite the setback, she still decided to compete in Cortina, a choice that ultimately led to the fractures and multiple surgeries she is now recovering from. But now, as Vonn is recovering, will she make a comeback to competitive skiing? For now, she has not shut the door on what comes next.

“I don’t like to close the door on anything, because you just never know what’s going to happen,” she told Vanity Fair. “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.”

At the same time, she has admitted that something still feels unfinished about her return. “There’s definitely closure that’s missing,” she said, leaving the future open-ended.

For now, recovery is the focus. Whether she returns to conquer the snow or not remains uncertain.