Vonn required surgery on a left-leg fracture from the crash in Cortina, Italy, for which she was airlifted to hospital.

It arrived shortly after the 41-year-old American ruptured ligaments in her left knee, with Vonn requiring lengthy treatment for her latest injury.

She has now addressed the disappointment, with her social media message already attracting over one million likes.

Coco Gauff inspired by Lindsey Vonn after Winter Olympics heartbreak

Vonn posted on Instagram: “Yesterday my Olympic dream did not finish the way I dreamt it would. It wasn’t a storybook 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.

“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 the also the beauty of life; we can try.

“I tried. I dreamt. I jumped. I hope if you take away anything from my journey it’s that you all have the courage to dare greatly.

“Life is too short not to take chances on yourself. Because the only failure in life is not trying. I believe in you, just as you believed in me.”

The post has almost 60,000 comments, one of which from tennis superstar Coco Gauff simply read: “So inspiring.”

Her fellow tennis players Jannik Sinner and Jakub Mensik have also reacted to the post with heart emojis, which Gauff added to her words.

Coco Gauff needs inspiration after shock Qatar Open exit

It is truly inspirational from Vonn, who has enjoyed a fantastic career and will long be remembered for her fantastic achievements.

And it’s amazing to see that her motivation and determination are not only transcending her sport, but the entire sporting world.

Tennis players are just one group that she is continuing to inspire, with Vonn clearly having a big impact on her fellow American Gauff.

At 21, Gauff is at the other end of her career, although like Vonn she has already inspired plenty of others herself.

Right now, however, the youngster will be in need of motivation, having just lost her first match at the Qatar Open.

The two-time Grand Slam champion suffered a shock defeat to Elisabetta Cocciaretto, having also lost her doubles opener with Victoria Mboko in Doha.