Lindsey Vonn Shares Heartbreaking News of Her Dog’s Passing Just Hours After 2026 Olympics Accident

Lindsey Vonn is grieving the loss of her dog, Leo, who passed away a day after she sustained a leg injury in a dramatic crash during the 2026 Winter Olympics.

“These past few days have been unimaginably tough—perhaps the hardest of my life,” Vonn, 41, expressed on Instagram on Wednesday, February 18. “I still can’t believe he’s gone… On the day of my crash, Leo also faced his own battle. He had just been diagnosed with lung cancer (after overcoming lymphoma a year and a half ago), but now his heart was giving out. He was in pain, and his body could no longer keep pace with his resilient spirit.”

Vonn was airlifted from the course in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, on February 8, following a crash during the women’s downhill event.

“As I lay in my hospital bed the day after my crash, we had to say goodbye to my big boy,” Vonn shared. “In such a brief period, I have lost so much that meant the world to me. I can hardly grasp it. Leo has been my companion since my second ACL injury, providing the support I needed most. He comforted me on the sofa as I watched the Sochi Olympics. He lifted my spirits when I was down. He lay beside me, always cuddling and making me feel safe and loved. We shared so much in 13 years.”

She went on to say, “It will take time for me to emotionally process everything, but I know he will always be right here with me.”

Vonn found solace in the belief that Leo was now with her loved ones who had also recently passed, including her dogs Lucy and Bear.

“I know he’s up there with Lucy, Bear, my mom, my grandparents, and so many others I’ve lost in recent years,” she wrote. “It brings me comfort to know he is free from pain.”

Vonn ended her post with, “There will never be another Leo. He will always be my first love. I’m heading in for more surgery today and will be thinking of him as I close my eyes. I will love you forever, my big boy 🤍.”

Following the crash, Vonn underwent four surgeries in Italy. She returned to the United States on Tuesday, February 17, where she faces more surgeries ahead.

“Surgery went well today!” Vonn shared via Instagram on Saturday, February 14. “I’m grateful to finally be heading back to the US! Once I’m home, I will provide more updates about my injury… But for now, as I sit here in bed reflecting, I have some thoughts I’d like to share…”

She continued, “I’ve been reading many messages and comments expressing sadness about what happened to me,” Vonn noted. “Please don’t feel sad. I welcome empathy, love, and support with open arms, but I ask for no sadness or sympathy. Instead, I hope my experience gives you the strength to keep fighting, because that is what I am doing and will continue to do. Always.”