The Winter Olympics comeback of Lindsey Vonn went way off course following an agonising fall during the downhill event. The extent of Vonn's toughness was revealed after she competed despite rupturing her ACL just a week before Sunday's showdown, and it's not the first time she's had to show her durability after a horror injury.

In fact, Vonn previously retired from professional skiing altogether after revealing in early 2019 that her body was "broken beyond all repair." This was due to serious injuries and mounting general wear and tear after more than a decade competing at the pinnacle of her sport. The Olympic gold medal-winner had suggested she would hang up her skis in December 2019, but expedited her exit due to persistent pain in both knees. Just 34 at the time, Vonn took to social media and gave her fans an emotional update, confirming she'd bow out after that year's World Championships, where she finished third in the downhill.

"It's been an emotional two weeks making the hardest decision of my life, but I have accepted that I cannot continue ski racing," she wrote on Instagram at the time. "I will compete at the World Championships in Downhill and SG (super-G) next week in Are, Sweden and they will be the final races of my career.

"I have always pushed the limits of ski racing and it has allowed me to have amazing success but also dramatic crashes. I have never wanted the storyline of my career to be about injuries, and because of that I decided not to tell anyone that I underwent surgery this past spring. A large portion of cartilage that had delaminated from my bone was removed."

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Vonn went on to explain that the crash she suffered at Lake Louise during the 2017 Ski World Cup was "much more painful" than she let on. She later suffered another fall during Team USA training at Copper Mountain in Colorado, the effects of which piled up over time.

She continued: "My body is broken beyond repair and it isn't letting me have the final season I dreamed of. My body is screaming at me to STOP and it's time for me to listen. Honestly, retiring isn't what upsets me. Retiring without reaching my goal is what will stay with me forever."

Vonn, 41, announced in November 2024 that she'd be making a pro comeback after successful knee replacement surgery, which removed much of the pain that had forced her to leave in the first place. She later confirmed plans to keep competing until the 2026 Winter Olympics, naming Cortina d'Ampezzo as one of her favourite venues.

The comeback ended in anguish on Sunday when she was airlifted from the site via helicopter. It's since been confirmed that Vonn underwent surgery after suffering a broken leg during the crash.

Barely one week prior, she was airlifted from Crans-Montana after a separate crash during a World Cup downhill event resulted in her ruptured ACL. Recent setbacks are that much more painful, considering Vonn has returned to actually lead the standings in this year's World Cup series by a sizeable margin.

As if recovering from either one of those injuries wouldn't be difficult enough, rehabbing both simultaneously is sure to put Vonn on a long road of recovery. And while her professional career may have ended in horrific circumstances, she has long since proven she has the resilience to bounce back.