Lindsey Vonn has posted on social media for the first time since her nightmare high-speed crash at the Winter Olympics. The 41-year-old was competing for Team USA despite a ruptured ACL in her left knee sustained just days before the Games. She lost her footing after clipping a gate and fell at high speed, with the incident shown live on TV around the world.

She replied to a post from TV presenter Dan Walker, who wrote: “This is what sport looks like when you strip away the polish. It’s not comfortable… it’s painful. Risk instead of safety.

“Vonn knew she might not win. She knew it might hurt. She understood the risk. She embraced it because not going down that mountain would mean surrendering to the things that stop you getting out of bed in the morning.

“Great sporting moments don’t always finish on a podium. They are acts of courage. They are athletes standing on the start line, knowing it could be the last time, knowing it might go wrong… and launching themselves anyway.

“That is the essence of sport. Not the medal. The moment before the gate opens and there is a chance that dream might become reality. I hope her body heals quickly and she knows she will always be a winner.”

Vonn responded with just three words, writing: “Thank you Dan,” accompanied by a praying hands emoji. She is yet to speak about her accident in detail and it’s not known if she will return to competitive skiing once she recovers.

“Today’s conditions were optimal and we worked very well together as a team,” he said. “We stayed composed and carried out the operation as well as possible. I believe the result was good.”

Vonn’s decision to participate in the Winter Olympics was a surprising one, given that she had ruptured her ACL just days before travelling to Italy for the Games.

Her sister, Karin Kildow, insisted that she was conscious of all the dangers beforehand while also reassuring fans that she was getting the best possible medical care.

Kildow said: “I mean that definitely was the last thing we wanted to see and it happened quick and when that happens, you’re just immediately hoping she’s okay.

“It was scary because when you start to see the stretchers being put out, it’s not a good sign. But she really… she just dared greatly and she put it all out there. So it’s really hard to see, but we just really hope she’s okay.

“She does have all of her surgeons and her PT staff here and her doctors, so I’m sure they’ll give us a report and we’ll meet her at whatever hospital she’s at.”

Raducanu was handed a brutal 6-0 6-2 loss in the showpiece, which marked her first WTA final appearance since winning the 2021 US Open as a qualifier aged just 18. The 23-year-old’s performance dropped considerably from the high level she had demonstrated up to the final, having arrived as the tournament’s top seed. Even so, her strong showing prior to the humiliating final gave her a boost in the world singles rankings, rising from world No. 30 to No. 25. It marks Raducanu’s best ranking since August 2022, when she was the world No. 11 going into her 2022 US Open title defence, before losing in the second round and plummeting to No. 83.

She has endured a gruelling past few years, with repeated injury setbacks and a lack of form seeing her tumble down the world rankings. Yet, over the past year, Raducanu has started to get into her stride and steadily ascend the rankings.

On her way to the final, Raducanu claimed straight-sets victories over opponents such as Greet Minnen, Kaja Juvan and Maja Chwalinska. The semi-finals presented a far more difficult challenge, from which she emerged victorious against Ukrainian star Oleksandra Oliynykova in three sets and nearly three hours of battle.

Raducanu said after losing out to Cirstea: “Today was obviously really tough. Sorana played a great match, for sure. I’ve been dealing with some health issues and just not feeling great this week. Yesterday was obviously a battle and today I felt quite tired. I just need to try to rest as best as possible.

“But honestly, I couldn’t do anything against Sorana today. She was playing incredible tennis and has been all week. I can’t praise her enough, how good she’s been and how nice of a person she is. It’s great to have someone like her around on the tour.”

The new world No. 25 also said: “I think my game has improved. I’ve made progress and I’ve been doing the right work over the past few weeks, so I’m very happy with how my game is developing. Today it was difficult to make a fair assessment but overall I think it’s moving in the right direction. I know there’s still a lot to improve but I’m happy to see some rewards for doing things the right way.”

She will travel to Doha for the Qatar Open next, where she hopes to maintain her level against Camila Osorio at the first WTA 1000 of the year. Since the Briton exited the Qatar Open in round one last year, she basically has no points to defend, meaning it will be another great chance for her to continue her ranking rise.

Speaking to the New York Post about Bad Bunny and Green Day’s performance, President Trump said: “I’m anti-them. I think it’s a terrible choice. All it does is sow hatred. Terrible.” As a result, Trump boycotted the Super Bowl and claimed distance was the main factor. In response to this controversy, Bad Bunny was prepared to make some remarks of his own during the performance.

Halfway through, his Grammy’s speech appeared on a small television before a family including a young boy. In the speech, the musician said: “Before I say thanks to God, I’m going to say ICE out.”

This remark refers to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents who have been conducting raids across America in recent weeks. Bad Bunny then appeared and presented his Grammy to the young boy, symbolising a passing of the torch to the next generation.

Then, the halftime performer end the show with an onscreen banner that read: “The only thing more powerful than hate is love,” as he marched alongside various flags representing the immigrant population in the United States.

This sparked a flurry of conversation among viewers, with one commenting: “I loved the bit at all the end with all the flags!”

Another chimed in: “People who don’t realise this was a celebration of America aren’t patriots.” A third added: “The fact that a kid from Puerto Rico just crushed the Super Bowl halftime show is an actual celebration of America.”

However, not everyone shared this sentiment, as one viewer remarked: “It was ok. Not the best but definitely seemed entertaining. I think the people who boycotted this were more so in denial that people like Bad Bunny are part of America.”

Another agreed, adding: “Production was on point. Not a fan of that style music in general as my personality is basically metalcore and death metal but the show was fine. People freaking out about it definitely showing their true colours.”