Lindsey Vonn Reveals She Suffered Devastating Family Loss 1 Day After Crashing at the Olympics

Lindsey Vonn is mourning the death of her beloved dog, Leo, following her devastating crash at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

The Olympic alpine ski racer, 41, took to Instagram on Wednesday to reveal that Leo had passed away just one day after she had to be airlifted to the hospital following her crash in the women’s downhill race.

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“This has been an incredibly hard few days. Probably the hardest of my life,” Vonn wrote on Instagram alongside photos with Leo over the years. “I still have not come to terms that he is gone…”

“The day I crashed, so did Leo,” she continued. “He had been recently diagnosed with lung cancer (he survived lymphoma a year and a half ago) but now his heart was failing him. He was in pain and his body could no longer keep up with his strong mind.”

Vonn was able to say “goodbye to [her] big boy” from the hospital the day after her crash. “I had lost so much that meant something to me in such a short amount of time,” she wrote. “I can’t believe it.”

“My boy has been with me since my second ACL injury, when I needed him most,” the athlete continued. “He held me on the sofa as I watched the Sochi Olympics. He lifted me up when I was down. He layed by me, and cuddle me (sic), always making me feel safe and loved. We have been through so much together in 13 years.”

Vonn confessed that it would be “a while” before she can “emotionally process” the events of the past week, but she knows Leo will “always be with me.”

“I know he’s up there with Lucy and Bear and my mom and grandparents and so many people I have lost in the past few years,” she wrote. “And I [take] solace knowing he’s not in pain anymore.”

“There will never be another Leo. He will always be my first love,” she concluded, writing that she would be thinking of him when she headed into another surgery that day. “I will love you forever my big boy.”

Vonn’s devastating crash on Feb. 8 meant the end of her Olympic dreams following her highly anticipated return to the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics. After spending time in the ICU in Italy, Vonn was able to return to the U.S. for further treatment.

“My leg is still in pieces…but I’m finally HOME!” she wrote in a Tuesday Instagram post. “My injury was a lot more severe than just a broken leg. I’m still wrapping my head around it, what it means and the road ahead… but I’m going to give you more detail in the coming days. As always, I appreciate all the love and support.”