Although American Alpine skier Lindsey Vonn ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in her left knee in late January 2026, she still plans to compete at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympic Games. The ACL is a thick band of connective tissue that joins the femur to the tibia, providing stability to the knee. With a ruptured ACL, Vonn can potentially use her muscle strength to make up for some of that lost stability. Having experienced numerous knee injuries in the past, she likely understands the limits of her body and has a high pain tolerance as well. She successfully completed a training run on February 6. However, days later Vonn crashed during the downhill event and was airlifted off the mountain. She later had surgery to repair a broken leg.
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