United States skiing sensation Lindsey Vonn has endured a roller coaster of emotions before, during, and after she attempted to compete at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Vonn, an Olympic medalist, courageously attempted to compete in Milano Cortina, Italy, just over a week after sustaining a complete tear of her ACL during a World Cup downhill crash in Crans-Montana, Switzerland. Unfortunately, her Olympic competition also ended brutally, as she crashed early in the women’s event and was immediately airlifted off the slope for medical assistance.

The unfortunate diagnosis was that she fractured her tibia, fibula head, and tibial plateau during the women’s downhill event, bringing her attempt to achieve another Olympic medal to a disheartening end. It meant undergoing surgery and now a road to recovery that she must face in the coming months.

 

Lindsey Vonn speaks to media in Italy before the 2026 Winter Olympics

CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, ITALY – FEBRUARY 3: Lindsey Vonn of Team United States speaks during a Team United States Women’s Alpine Skiing press conference at… | Photo by Kevin Voigt/GettyImages

Along with suffering such a brutal injury, Vonn learned that her beloved dog, Leo, died while she was away from home. She shared that heartbreaking news as she was preparing to undergo surgery on her leg, making for some very emotional moments and updates.

On Tuesday, she shared another emotional update on her Instagram Story. Vonn uploaded a photo featuring a wooden plaque with her dog Leo’s name on it and a paw print on the wood. A graved wooden box with “Leo” carved into it was also displayed in her photo.

“My big boy is finally home,” Vonn wrote, adding heart and broken heart emojis at the end.

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Losing a pet is like losing a member of the family for many people. Vonn has continued to enjoy the company of another dog she adopted in 2025, Chance, who often appears in her social media updates.

As mentioned, she’s still recovering after surgery and, in a recent message to her fans, said she planned to focus fully on those efforts, suggesting she might be less active on social media.

In addition to her emotional update regarding Leo, Vonn also shared an Audi FIS Ski World Cup post about the women’s alpine skier rankings. It shows Vonn as the top women’s downhill skier ahead of the final in Norway, which she will watch from the sidelines as she continues her recovery.

Read more: Lindsey Vonn Admits ‘Hard Realities’ in Emotional Olympics Recovery Update

For more about the Olympics, visit Newsweek Sports.