'Cross ligament rupture → Enforced to participate in the Olympics? You are selfish.' Inundated with criticism, leg amputation crisis legend confessed, "Actually..." [Milan Olympics]

*This content was translated by AI.

The ski legend, who pushed ahead with the Olympics despite a terrible leg injury, was angry. Lindsey Vonn (42, USA) completely refuted the criticism that poured out against her.

According to a report by the British media Daily Mail on the 22nd (Korea Standard Time), Bonn recently said on his social networking service (SNS), "I did it, I came back, and I won."

Bonn, who dreamed of winning his second gold medal on the stage of the 2026 Milan and Cortina D'Ampezzo Winter Olympics, pushed ahead with his participation even though he suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament just before the competition.

However, while targeting the course steeply in the women's downhill final on the 8th, he suffered a disastrous accident of spinning and falling in the air.

Bonn suffered a fatal injury called a composite tibia fracture in the accident. Immediately after the accident, Bon screamed in excruciating pain and was rushed to a helicopter by medical staff at the scene, fixed on a stretcher. Since then, he has undergone four operations in Italy, and has recently returned to the United States and completed his fifth major surgery, which took more than six hours. Currently, Bon's left leg is embedded with dozens of metal screws to secure the fractured bone.

The level of injury was serious. According to France's L'Equipe, an expert even raised the possibility of Bonn's leg amputation.

Not all eyes were warm toward Bon immediately after the injury. Some were criticized for "selfish decision that did not give another player a chance" toward Bonn, who played without returning his qualification despite a serious knee injury.

In response, Bon said, "The word selfish stabbed me in the chest," but added, "I want to correct the facts for those who do not understand my season's performance. This season, he ranked No. 1 in the world in the downhill section and duly qualified for the Olympics."

"It wasn't all in vain," Vaughan said in a statement from his hospital bed. Sitting in the hospital room, I feel far away like a dream, but I've made a return that most people thought was impossible even after undergoing knee artificial joint replacement, he said. "Even though I didn't reach the medal I aimed for, what I've been doing was worth it." I will cherish these memories forever," he said.

In fact, Bon's body had already undergone reconstructive surgery on his right knee in 2024 and was full of titanium implants. Vaughan, who returned after reversing his five-year retirement, also showed off his robustness by winning the World Cup downhill in December last year. However, a week before the opening of the Olympics, he ruptured his cruciate ligament in Crans Montana, Switzerland, and fell 13 seconds into the Olympic finals, seriously injuring his leg.

Recently, Bon has been communicating with fans by sharing the rehabilitation process without any addition or subtraction. "Don't be sad or sympathetic to me," Vaughan said. "The Olympic challenge was my choice and I knew the dangers," he said. "I have no regrets even if I close my eyes at night. I look forward to the moment when I will be at the top of the mountain again someday, and I will definitely do so," he said, expressing a strong will to return.

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*This content was translated by AI.