Lindsey Vonn Navigates Met Steps Without Crutches Post-Crash

Lindsey Vonn, the 41-year-old American alpine skiing champion, made a triumphant return to the public eye at the 2026 Met Gala in New York City, navigating the Metropolitan Museum of Art's iconic steps without crutches for the first time since a severe crash at the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics three months earlier.

The event, held on Monday evening and themed around "Fashion is Art" to celebrate the Costume Institute's exhibition on the dressed body, drew numerous athletes including Serena and Venus Williams, A'ja Wilson, Naomi Osaka, Alysa Liu, and David Beckham. Vonn, a five-time Olympic medalist with 84 World Cup victories, wore a custom Thom Browne gown featuring a beaded white mermaid silhouette, asymmetrical black-and-white patterns, sheer elements, and a flared tulle skirt. The designer, a longtime collaborator, provided a custom black-and-gold cane for support as she ascended the stairs.

Vonn's Olympic campaign ended abruptly on February 8 during the women's downhill on the Olimpia delle Tofane course in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. Just 13 seconds into her run, her arm caught a gate, sending her crashing and shattering her left tibia, fibula, and ankle. She underwent...