Lindsey Vonn Breaks Silence On 'Hardest Days Of My Life' With Back-To-Back Tragedies

Lindsey Vonn finally shares the very sad news of her beloved dog passing away.

The athlete has been mourning her furry friend for over a week after it died, as she continues to grapple with the aftermath of her surgery and sudden exit from the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Lindsey Vonn bowed out of the competition just a few minutes after her comeback performance following her break from retirement in 2024, when she shared that she had begun training with the USA ski racing team.

Though it took her days to share the sad news, Vonn confessed that she was still struggling to come to terms with the fact that her faithful dog was gone.

According to the caption accompanying her touching post, her dog, Leo, passed away after her crash at the Winter Olympics, and she was able to say goodbye to her dear dog as she lay in her hospital bed.

"Been some of the hardest days of my life, and still have not begun to process his passing. I will always love you, Leo," the post concluded. Vonn's post touched several hearts who flocked to her comment section with kind words and sympathy for her loss, which coincided with her exit from the games.

Six years ago, in 2020, after her engagement to hockey star P.K. Subban, the ski racer expressed to PEOPLE that her wedding ceremony would feature appearances from her three dogs, Lucy, Leo, and Bear.

According to the gold medalist, the dogs could perform excellently as ring bearers if they can concentrate enough and do what they are told. She raved about Lucy, who seemed to be the most agreeable of the trio and had traveled the world with the athlete.

Her late dog, Leo, was her first ever adopted dog, who came into her life after she suffered a knee injury in 2014. Vonn revealed that despite the records and her tough girl exterior, she actually relies greatly on her dogs.

The athlete confirmed that throughout her injuries and all the hard times on her travels and everything, her dogs have helped her keep her head above water.

The ski racer shared a crucial update concerning the progress of her recovery, according to The Blast on February 17, where she explained that while she is back in the United States, she still remains largely immobile.

She revealed that she has not been able to get up from the hospital bed and move around due to the impact of the injury and the ensuing surgeries, but everyone in Italy, who played a part in her recovery, did an excellent job.

The American athlete was praised for putting up such an impressive show despite her short stay and encouraged to take getting back on her feet very seriously.

Vonn received an overwhelming amount of love from Americans in the comments who noted that she exhibited peak patriotism and showmanship by representing her home country despite her most recent episode with a torn ACL.

Vonn got candid about her return to ski racing and how she knew she was taking a risk by agreeing to join the team for the competition. As stated by The Blast, she confessed that she fully understood how powerful the mountains were and how every athlete is at their mercy.

Vonn went into the game with a torn ACL at the World Cup race in Switzerland on January 30, a few days before the Winter Olympics kicked off.

Before departing for Italy, the sportsperson had assured her fans that premium consultations had been made with therapists who conducted bouts of physical tests on her and cleared her for the performance.

Unfortunately, she lost control on the hill and crashed into one of the plastic markers lining the track in Italy. Vonn's right leg and shoulder took most of the hit, and she had to be airlifted to the health facility after the incident.

The star's dogs are not the only ones close to her heart; a few people have also occupied that special space, including Tiger Woods, Subban, Kenan Smith, and Thomas Vonn, whom she was married to for four years.

She recently broke up with liquor company founder and business mogul, Diego Osorio, after a four-year-long relationship from 2021 to 2025. According to PEOPLE, Vonn revealed on Valentine's Day 2025 that she would be spending it alone and with her dogs, hinting that her chapter with the mogul has closed.

She married Thomas, a former professional skier, in 2007, a year after he proposed to her amid fireworks on New Year's Day, 2006. The marriage ended in 2011, but Vonn remained thankful for their years together.

She moved on with Woods two years after separating from Thomas, and the high-profile romance lasted till 2015, after which they parted ways, and blamed it on their hectic schedule.

Vonn and Subban broke up in 2020, nearly a year after he proposed to her at their Los Angeles home. The former couple stressed that despite their split, they will remain friends for a lifetime as they loved each other to a great extent.