Despite the tough road ahead after a heartbreaking injury, Lindsey Vonn has no regrets.

Vonn, who attempted an Olympic comeback just days after rupturing her ACL but ultimately suffered another crash during a race on Feb. 8, posted a message to social media on Saturday directed toward all of her “haters.”

“It wasn’t all for nothing… it was everything,” Vonn posted on Instagram with an accompanying video. “And it wasn’t a dream… although sitting in this hospital bed it seems far away now.
Lindsey Vonn in a US ski suit, mid-air while alpine skiing.In this image taken from video provided by Olympic Broadcasting Services, OBS, United States’ Lindsey Vonn crashes during an alpine ski women’s downhill race, at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026AP
“But I did it. I came back. I won. I showed up and did what most thought was impossible at my age with a partial knee replacement. These memories I’ll have forever and I’m grateful for every one of them. Every moment was amazing. Every moment was worth it.”

Vonn added that she was taken aback by people calling her selfish for not giving up her Olympic spot to another skier following her initial injury.

“One thing that stung was when people said I was selfish and should give my Olympic spot to someone else. So… I just wanted to recap my season for all the haters out there that don’t understand what it means to earn your spot, and on a more positive note, to just reflect,” she said before posting her stats from this past skiing season.
Lindsey Vonn in a hospital bed with an external fixator on her leg, giving a thumbs up.U.S. skier Lindsey Vonn lies in a hospital bed, after she crashed during the Women’s Downhill, in Treviso, Italy, in this picture obtained from social media on February 11, 2026.@lindseyvonn via REUTERS
Vinn became the oldest downhill skiing World Cup winner at 41 with a victory in St. Moritz, Switzerland, in December.

She concluded her social media statement by providing some words of wisdom and thanked those who believed in her.

 

“It’s not impossible until it’s done. I didn’t reach my ultimate goal…. But I still did a lot,” she wrote. “Thank you to those who believed!”

Her post comes just a day after the 2010 Olympic gold medalist shared a gory update as she recovers from a complex tibial fracture she sustained from the 2026 Winter Olympics Downhill event.

SOURCE: https://nypost.com/2026/02/21/sports/lindsey-vonn-claps-back-at-haters-as-she-recovers-from-leg-surgeries/