Lindsey Vonn Is Branded an ‘Icon’ by Fans With the Release of New ‘Vanity Fair’ Cover

Following her crash at the Milan Cortina Games, Lindsey Vonn has been dedicated to her recovery, all while keeping her fans updated throughout the process.
After suffering a complex tibia fracture on Feb. 8 during the women’s downhill event, the Alpine skier underwent multiple surgeries in Italy before returning to the U.S. Upon her arrival stateside, Vonn’s leg required additional surgery and plenty of physical rehabilitation. And amidst her ongoing recovery, the three-time Olympic medalist posed for the cover of Vanity Fair’s latest issue.
In the cover photograph released today, March 26, Vonn stood poised in front of a blue backdrop while clad in a floor-length black Mônot gown with a hip-high slit that put the athlete’s injured leg on display. She was photographed by Quil Harwood-Lemons for the feature and styled by Deborah Afshani.
“The Invincible Lindsey Vonn,” read the cover’s tagline, along with a quote from Vonn’s first interview post-crash. “I don’t like to close the door on anything ... You just never know what’s going to happen.”
The joint Instagram post of the cover image racked up more than 25,000 likes and tons of comments within the first hour of being posted, with tons of fans praising Vonn for her resilience.
“My icon❤️❤️❤️❤️,” model and actress Brooks Nader gushed.
“Love this cover! One of the most iconic women in sports. Legend,” someone else wrote.
“This woman is super human! I can’t believe all she has achieved even since that crash! A warrior of our era! Legendary status… secured! 🔥👏,” another fan stated.
“Icon 🔥,” the official United States SailGP Team account chimed.
“Gonna need a signed copy of this, @lindseyvonn! 💪🏼,” freestyle skier Gus Kenworthy requested.
In a post to her own feed, Vonn admitted that telling her story to writer Elise Taylor “felt good.” She also included a pull-quote from the feature in her caption: “What I did before the Olympics has never been done before. I was number 1 in the standings. No one remembers that I was winning.”
“Everyone KNOWS you were winning. You EARNED your place on the USA Olympic Ski team because you are the BEST. Ignore the haters. Wishing you all the best in your recovery❤️❤️❤️🔥🔥🔥,” one fan applauded Vonn in the comments section.
“We definitely remember! You are incredible and so is your story! Never lose sight of that🔥👏💕,” another follower cheered.
Read Vonn’s full Vanity Fair interview here.
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Cara is a trending news writer/editor for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit. A passionate writer and editor with more than 10 years of experience in print and online media, she loves storytelling and believes that words have the power to change the world. Prior to joining the team, Cara worked as a writer and editor across a number of content verticals, including food, lifestyle, health and wellness, and small business and entrepreneurship. In her free time, Cara loves reading, spending time with her family and making her way through Michigan’s many microbreweries. She is a graduate of Michigan State University's School of Journalism.