Cristiano Ronaldo Encourages Lindsey Vonn to 'Keep Fighting' After Injury Led to Amputation Scare

Lindsey Vonn received words of encouragement from Cristiano Ronaldo after revealing that she almost lost her leg due to the injuries she suffered in the lead-up to and during the 2026 Olympics.

After Vonn posted a video on Instagram detailing how her leg came close to having to be amputated, Ronaldo posted a message encouraging her to "keep fighting."

Vonn said in the video and post that she was finally discharged from the hospital after two weeks. She is not yet able to travel home but is currently staying in a hotel.

As she explains, her injury was a complex tibia fracture that essentially left her leg "in pieces." She posted an image of the X-ray after one of her surgeries, describing herself as being "bionic for real" because of all the metal they had to insert to stabilize the leg.

Vonn arrived at the Olympics with a torn ACL in her left knee that was suffered during a World Cup tune-up in Switzerland on Jan. 30. She was given clearance to compete at the Winter Games and went through a practice run on Feb. 7.

During the downhill event on Feb. 8, Vonn crashed early in her run and had to be airlifted from the course to the hospital. She had at least four surgeries in the two weeks after the crash before being allowed to leave the hospital.

Vonn was competing in the Olympics for the first time since 2018. She had knee replacement surgery in early 2024 and announced plans for a comeback later that year.

The three-time Olympic medalist qualified for the 2026 Games in December.