An already difficult Olympics took a turn for the worst for Lindsey Vonn. The 41-year-old skier revealed Wednesday her dog Leo died a day after Vonn’s crash in the downhill event ended her Olympic comeback.
Vonn announced the news on Instagram, saying she had to say goodbye to Leo from her hospital bed in Italy.
Vonn credited Leo for providing emotional support when the skier needed it. She said he had been with her since her second ACL injury and watched the Sochi Olympics with Vonn, who could not compete at the event due to that injury.
Advertisement
Vonn also added she’s undergoing yet another surgery Wednesday. It would mark at least her fifth operation since her crash in the downhill Feb. 8. Vonn came into the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics already dealing with another torn ACL, which she sustained days before the Olympics began.
Despite that injury, Vonn vowed to compete at the Games. She managed to get through some training prior to the downhill event, but her run ended after just 13 seconds, when she clipped a gate with her shoulder and crashed.
Vonn needed to be airlifted off the course and taken to a hospital, where she underwent at least four surgeries. Vonn announced Tuesday that she had arrived back in the United States, though had not been cleared to stand just yet.
Leave a Reply