U.S. skiing star Lindsey Vonn has undergone two operations in Italy after suffering a serious leg fracture in a dramatic Winter Olympics crash, a source said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 41-year-old fell just 13 seconds into a highly anticipated downhill race on Sunday in Cortina d\u2019Ampezzo. She was flown by helicopter to Ca\u2019 Foncello Hospital in Treviso, the source said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hospital officials said on Sunday that Vonn had surgery to stabilize her left leg. The source said a second procedure was also carried out to reduce the risk of complications linked to swelling and blood flow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Vonn\u2019s fall came early and violently. It ended her attempt to pursue downhill gold while managing a knee injury.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She had suffered an ACL injury to her left knee in late January. The ACL, or anterior cruciate ligament, is a key stabilizing ligament inside the knee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The source said the operations were performed by a joint team of local orthopedic and plastic surgeons. They were designed to stabilize her condition and limit complications that can follow major trauma.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Vonn\u2019s personal doctor was present, the source added, but only assisted. Italian surgeons led the procedures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee did not respond to a request for comment on Vonn\u2019s treatment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The hospital had previously indicated it would provide a further update at 1100 GMT on Monday. That plan was later scrapped, and further information was expected to come from the U.S. delegation instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A small group of reporters waited outside the hospital in Treviso, near Venice. No public gathering formed outside the facility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Vonn\u2019s decision to compete has fueled a wider discussion in elite sport about who has the final say when athletes return from injury.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
International Ski Federation president Johan Eliasch said the decision should be left to the competitor. He also described the crash as a rare misfortune, saying she was \u201cincredibly unlucky\u201d after getting too close to a gate and catching it while airborne, which caused her to rotate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sebastien Amiez, a former French skier and Olympic silver medallist, said Vonn\u2019s strong World Cup form may have influenced her choice to keep racing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He suggested her early results shifted expectations. In his view, the risk finally caught up with her in the Olympic race.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The source said the U.S. ski team had inspected several facilities before selecting Treviso, around 125 km from Cortina.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Treviso was chosen over a closer hospital in Belluno, the source said, because it also has a neurosurgery department.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Support has come from across the sporting world. Tennis great Rafael Nadal was among those who sent a message, praising Vonn\u2019s perseverance and wishing her a strong recovery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For now, the focus is on her medical condition and next steps. Officials have not given a clear timeline for further updates, but more information is expected from the U.S. delegation.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
U.S. skiing star Lindsey Vonn has undergone two operations in Italy after suffering a serious leg fracture in a dramatic Winter Olympics crash, a source said. The 41-year-old fell just 13 seconds into a highly anticipated downhill race on Sunday in Cortina d\u2019Ampezzo. She was flown by helicopter to Ca\u2019 Foncello Hospital in Treviso, the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":834,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[52],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-833","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sports"],"yoast_head":"\n