Lindsey Vonn’s crash at the Winter Olympics was a major setback in every sense. Still, after five surgeries and a week in the hospital, being cleared to return to the USA felt like a much-needed relief. But little did she know, even that moment would be bittersweet. Vonn is finally back home, but even in that comfort, she’s facing a harsh reality.

Some of the things she loves most, especially the presence of her beloved dog, are painfully absent.

“Home sweet home. Feels good to sleep in my own bed,” Lindsey Vonn wrote on Instagram, after nearly two weeks in a Milan hospital.

But she added, “Wheeling through the front door without Leo greeting me like always was a very hard reality. A reality I had to face. Along with many other hard realities that lay in front of me as I move forward…”

She shared a picture sitting on a light grey couch, her left leg wrapped in multiple bandages. In her arms, she held her other dog, Chance, but the absence of Leo was still clear.

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Leo had been by her side for 13 years, who passed away just a day after her crash. He had been battling lung cancer, and Lindsey Vonn said goodbye to him from her hospital bed on February 9.

“This has been an incredibly hard few days. Probably the hardest of my life. I still have not come to terms that he is gone… As I lay in my hospital bed the day after my crash, we said goodbye to my big boy. I had lost so much that meant something to me in such a short amount of time. I can’t believe it,” Vonn recalled.

Lindsey Vonn then reflected on Leo’s importance in her life.

“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.”

Leo has now joined two of Vonn’s other dogs in heaven.

Lucy passed away in 2025 after battling kidney failure, and Bear died a few years ago after struggling with cancer.

But amid the grief, Vonn also shared a positive update.

Lindsey Vonn’s battle to survive

On February 8, 2026, Lindsey Vonn suffered a crash in the downhill of the women’s race at the 2026 Winter Olympics. She was airlifted off the mountain and taken to a hospital in Italy. Initially reported as stable, Vonn was diagnosed with a complex fracture of her left tibia, the primary bone of the lower leg, and a broken ankle on the right side, and trauma to the surrounding tissues.

She also developed compartment syndrome.

If not treated immediately, it can lead to amputation. Team USA orthopedic surgeon Dr. Tom Hackett performed an emergency fasciotomy, opening the sides of her leg to relieve pressure and save her limb.

Vonn later shared, “Dr. Tom Hackett saved my leg. He saved my leg from being amputated. He did what’s called a fasciotomy, where he cut open like both sides of my leg, kind of filleted open…”

Over the following weeks, Lindsey Vonn underwent four surgeries in Italy, followed by another long operation after returning to the US to continue repairing her leg. The crash also caused much blood loss that required a transfusion. Finally, after two weeks, she returned home.

Amid the surgeries and emotional challenges, Vonn is determined to focus on healing.

“I’m focused now on therapy and getting healthy. It’s going to be a hard and painful journey, but I am putting all of my energy into it, like I always do. I’m going to take some time for myself. I’ll give you updates when I can, but right now my focus is on taking care of myself. As always, thank you for the love and support. ❤️🙏🏻”

Despite surgeries, severe physical discomfort, and the demise of her beloved, Lindsey Vonn makes it clear: she’s taking things one day at a time. She is leaning into the recovery process, and she is holding on to the memories that serve as her driving force.