Sir David Beckham has shared a message of support for American alpine skier Lindsey Vonn after she broke her leg during the Olympic women’s downhill.
The 41-year-old damaged her ACL just over a week before the event at the Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre, but after successfully completing two practice runs of the Cortina course, Vonn was the 13th starter in the competition.
However, Vonn clipped a gate and crashed just seconds into her run, with a helicopter airlifting her off the mountain before she later underwent surgery on a broken leg in a hospital in Treviso.
On Wednesday, the athlete shared a photograph from her hospital bed to Instagram.
“I had my third surgery today and it was successful,” she wrote. “Success today has a completely different meaning than it did a few days ago. I’m making progress and while it is slow, I know I’ll be OK.”
Sir David left a series of different coloured heart emojis and the word: “Champion”.
American snowboarder Chloe Kim wrote: “Love you Lindsey! You’re an inspiration.”
US Olympic ice skater Michelle Kwan said: “Speedy recovery Lindsey.”
Actress Mariska Hargitay left the simple message: “Superhero.”
And actress Olivia Munn posted four heart emojis.
Another message was left by model Ashley Graham, who wrote: “You are so inspiring!!!”
Vonn also thanked medical staff, family and friends as well as highlighting “the beautiful outpouring of love and support from people around the world”.
She was airlifted to hospital in Treviso after her fall during the event at the Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre.
In a previous post on Instagram, she said she “sustained a complex tibia fracture that is currently stable but will require multiple surgeries to fix properly” and insisted her ACL had "nothing to do with my crash whatsoever".
She wrote: “Yesterday my Olympic dream did not finish the way I dreamt it would. It wasn't a story book ending or a fairytale, it was just life.
“I dared to dream and had worked so hard to achieve it. Because in Downhill ski racing the difference between a strategic line and a catastrophic injury can be as small as 5 inches.
“I was simply 5 inches too tight on my line when my right arm hooked inside of the gate, twisting me and resulted in my crash. My ACL and past injuries had nothing to do with my crash whatsoever,” Vonn added.
“Unfortunately, I sustained a complex tibia fracture that is currently stable but will require multiple surgeries to fix properly. While yesterday did not end the way I had hoped, and despite the intense physical pain it caused, I have no regrets.
“Standing in the starting gate yesterday was an incredible feeling that I will never forget. Knowing I stood there having a chance to win was a victory in and of itself. I also knew that racing was a risk. It always was and always will be an incredibly dangerous sport.
“And similar to ski racing, we take risks in life. We dream. We love. We jump. And sometimes we fall. Sometimes our hearts are broken. Sometimes we don't achieve the dreams we know we could have. But that is also the beauty of life; we can try. I tried. I dreamt. I jumped.”
Vonn was crowned Olympic downhill champion at Vancouver 2010 and returned to the sport in December 2024 having initially retired in 2019 and has had a partial knee replacement.
Speaking earlier on Monday, International Olympic Committee sports director Pierre Ducrey insisted Vonn's decision to compete was for her to take amid widespread criticism of her participation.
He said: "I think it's clear in the downhill we give athletes opportunities to train to make sure they are able to go down the slope in the way it should be for all the athletes.
"That happened, she was able to train and made the choice, with the excellent team that she has, to take part, so from that point of view I don't think we should say that she should or shouldn't have participated.
"This decision was really hers and her team's to take. She made the decision and unfortunately it led to the injury."
