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Lindsey Vonn is redefining resilience with her latest magazine cover.
The 41-year-old Alpine skiing icon graces the cover of Vanity Fair shortly after a harrowing accident at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics that almost claimed her left leg. Captured by photographer Quil Lemons at her Park City, Utah residence, Vonn confidently showcases her bandaged leg in a striking black dress with a daring high slit.
For the cover photograph, Vonn donned a Mônot high-slit T-neck gown, priced at $1,295, paired with a Rolex watch. Inside the magazine, she sports another leg-revealing dress, this time a halter design by Akris.
On February 8, just 13 seconds into her downhill event, Vonn’s arm snagged a gate, causing a catastrophic fall that fractured her tibia, fibula, and ankle. The dramatic incident was witnessed globally as she was evacuated by helicopter from the mountain.
Her injuries were so critical that she faced the risk of losing her left leg to compartment syndrome, a perilous condition where pressure in the limb restricts blood flow. In a race against time, her doctor performed an emergency operation in the early hours at a Treviso, Italy hospital to salvage her leg.
“I was number one in the world, and potentially on my way to an Olympic medal,” Vonn told Vanity Fair. “Now I’m in a wheelchair.”
Vonn underwent multiple surgeries on her shattered leg before returning home in early March. She now spends her days in physical therapy and daily hyperbaric chamber sessions.
In an accompanying video for the magazine, Vonn read messages of support from the likes of Prince William, Cristiano Ronaldo and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
A letter from the Prince of Wales praised Vonn’s courage and resilience. “I didn’t expect that Prince William was watching me, let alone took the time to write me a letter,” Vonn said with a laugh, adding that she offered to take him and his family skiing — “maybe in a while, but at some point.”
The three-time Olympic medalist had come out of retirement in November 2024 at 40 years old — becoming the oldest World Cup downhill winner in history — and was first in the downhill standings heading into the Games. She raced at Cortina despite tearing her ACL just nine days earlier at a World Cup event in Crans-Montana, Switzerland.
“I don’t want people to hang on this crash and be remembered for that,” Vonn told the magazine. “What I did before the Olympics has never been done before.”