U.S. skiing great Vonn had two operations after leg fracture

CORTINA D'AMPEZZO/TREVISO, Italy, Feb 9 - U.S. skiing great Lindsey Vonn has had two operations in Italy after a serious leg fracture at the Olympics, with a source saying the procedures should help stabilise her and prevent complications linked to swelling and blood flow.

Vonn, 41, was flown by helicopter to the Ca' Foncello Hospital in the city of Treviso from Cortina d'Ampezzo after her audacious bid to win downhill gold with a ruptured knee ligament ended in a horrific crash 13 seconds into Sunday's race.

One of the most decorated ski racers in history, she was operated on by a joint team of local orthopaedic and plastic surgeons, the source close to the matter said on Monday.

Her personal doctor was present but only assisted while Italian surgeons led the procedures, the source said.

The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee did not respond to a request for comment.

In a statement on Sunday, the hospital said she had an operation to stabilise a fractured left leg but did not mention a second procedure.

The U.S. ski team had inspected several facilities before selecting Treviso, some 125 km (80 miles) from Cortina, favouring it over a closer hospital in Belluno because Treviso also has a neurosurgery department, the source said.

Hospitals in Innsbruck and Milan were also considered, but Treviso was deemed best placed to handle the complexity of Vonn’s injury.

Vonn's battle to reach the start gate despite the serious damage to her left knee, sustained in late January, dominated the opening days of the Milano Cortina Olympics.

Her remarkable quest came to a halt in a scream of pain as she tumbled onto the snow, prompting questions over whether she should have been cleared to race at all.

The case has highlighted a broader debate in elite sport over who decides when an injured athlete is fit to compete and what message those decisions send. REUTERS