Lindsey Vonn has posted on social media for the first time since her nightmare high-speed crash at the Winter Olympics. The 41-year-old was competing for Team USA despite a ruptured ACL in her left knee sustained just days before the Games. She lost her footing after clipping a gate and fell at high speed, with the incident shown live around the world.

Vonn was heard screaming in agony and was airlifted to hospital to undergo immediate surgery. She had another medical procedure on Monday morning to reduce the femur fracture in her left leg with external fixation. Vonn has now broken her silence by posting on X (formerly Twitter) for the first time since the horrific crash.

She replied to a post from TV presenter Dan Walker, who wrote: “This is what sport looks like when you strip away the polish. It’s not comfortable… it’s painful. Risk instead of safety.

“Vonn knew she might not win. She knew it might hurt. She understood the risk. She embraced it because not going down that mountain would mean surrendering to the things that stop you getting out of bed in the morning.

“Great sporting moments don’t always finish on a podium. They are acts of courage. They are athletes standing on the start line, knowing it could be the last time, knowing it might go wrong… and launching themselves anyway.

“That is the essence of sport. Not the medal. The moment before the gate opens and there is a chance that dream might become reality. I hope her body heals quickly and she knows she will always be a winner.”

Vonn responded with just three words, writing: “Thank you Dan,” accompanied by a praying hands emoji. She is yet to speak about her accident in detail and it’s not known if she will return to competitive skiing once she recovers.

Roberto Cit, the pilot in control of the helicopter that attended the crash, revealed the weather was perfect for the operation and said that he considered it a success.

“Today’s conditions were optimal and we worked very well together as a team,” he said. “We stayed composed and carried out the operation as well as possible. I believe the result was good.”

Vonn’s decision to participate in the Winter Olympics was a surprising one, given that she had ruptured her ACL just days before travelling to Italy for the Games.

Her sister, Karin Kildow, insisted that she was conscious of all the dangers beforehand while also reassuring fans that she was getting the best possible medical care.

Kildow said: “I mean that definitely was the last thing we wanted to see and it happened quick and when that happens, you’re just immediately hoping she’s okay.

“It was scary because when you start to see the stretchers being put out, it’s not a good sign. But she really… she just dared greatly and she put it all out there. So it’s really hard to see, but we just really hope she’s okay.

“She does have all of her surgeons and her PT staff here and her doctors, so I’m sure they’ll give us a report and we’ll meet her at whatever hospital she’s at.”