[US, Mexico & Canada customers only] Feb 3, 2026; Cortina d’Ampezzo, ITALY; Lindsey Vonn attends a press conference at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium in preparation for the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games. Mandatory Credit: Leonhard Foeger/Reuters via Imagn Images
Days after a frightening Olympic crash left Lindsey Vonn facing a long medical road, the skier told fans she has been coping with another loss that has nothing to do with the course.
In an Instagram post shared Tuesday, Vonn said her dog, Leo, died the day after she suffered a catastrophic leg injury in the downhill at the Milan Cortina Winter Games. “This has been an incredibly hard few days,” she wrote. “Probably the hardest of my life. I still have not come to terms that he is gone.”
Vonn, a 2010 Olympic gold medalist, said she has been through multiple operations since being transported by helicopter to a hospital in Italy following the fall. She added that she is scheduled for an additional procedure on Wednesday in the United States.
Feb 8, 2026; Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy; A helicopter air lifts Lindsey Vonn of the United States from the course after a crash in the women’s downhill alpine skiing race during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre. Mandatory Credit: Michael Madrid-Imagn Images
Alongside a gallery of photos, Vonn detailed Leo’s health struggles, writing that he had lung cancer and had previously survived lymphoma, and that he also dealt with heart issues.
The 41-year-old had pursued a return to Olympic competition despite tearing her ACL only days before the Games, a risky comeback that ended in a violent downhill spill.
She described the timing of Leo’s death as she recovered from that crash. “As I layed in my hospital bed the day after my crash, we said goodbye to my big boy,” she wrote. “I had lost so much that meant something to me in such a short amount of time. I can’t believe it. My boy has been with me since my second ACL injury, when I needed him most. 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, always making me feel safe and loved. We have been through so much together in 13 years.”
Vonn said she is not yet ready to fully absorb the grief, but expressed comfort in the belief that Leo is reunited with others she has lost. “It’s going to be a while before I emotionally process things but I know he 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. And I take solace knowing he’s not in pain anymore,” she wrote.
Feb 6, 2026; Cortina d’Ampezzo, ITALY; Lindsey Vonn of the United States in women’s downhill training during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre. Mandatory Credit: Michael Madrid-Imagn Images
As she braces for another round of surgery, Vonn said Leo remains at the forefront of her thoughts. “Will be thinking of him when I close my eyes,” she wrote. “I will love you forever my big boy.”
She ended the post with a final tribute. “There will never be another Leo. He will always be my first love,” she continued.
