13 seconds. That’s all it took for Lindsey Vonn’s fairytale Olympic comeback dream to begin and then crash, literally. Now, after multiple surgeries for her complex tibia fracture, the 41-year-old has given a further update on the extent of what really happened to her leg.

“Made it through surgery… it took a bit more than 6 hours to complete. As you can see, it required a lot of plates and screws to put back together, but Dr. Hackett did an incredible job,” the American skier on her Instagram.

“With the extent of the trauma, I’ve been struggling a bit post op and have not yet been able to be discharged from the hospital just yet… almost there. Baby steps. Will explain the injury and what it all means soon. ❤️🙏🏻”

Following that crash on the Olympia delle Tofane downhill course, she has undergone multiple surgeries for the doctors to stabilize her leg, prevent the swelling, and maintain the blood flow. It was only followed by more surgeries.

Her X-ray picture on Instagram showed metal plates and nails holding her tibia together. As she awaits more surgeries before her rehab can begin, all she can do is find solace in her shark plushy. Anyone would want emotional support after going through what she did in Milan.

Vonn entered the Milan Olympics already nursing her Crans-Montana ACL tear from January 30, 2026, during the World Cup in Crans-Montana, Switzerland. However, expecting this to be her final Olympics, she did not take a break. Instead, for an injury that easily takes nine months to rehab completely, she was back on her feet with a brace in a week.

It was dangerous, but she wanted it. Things only got worse from there.

The 41-year-old pushed out of the gate on the iconic Olympia delle Tofane course for the first race at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. Just 13 seconds later, before even reaching the first course marker, her right ski pole clipped into a gate at high speed, spinning her into the air and violently hurling her into the hard-packed snow. She was given immediate attention before flying her out of the area.

She spent nine days in Ca’ Foncello Hospital in Treviso before flying back to her home. She hasn’t yet stood on her feet. Looking at the X-rays, she probably won’t be able to for at least four to six months for her tibia fracture to heal. Meanwhile, not only is she suffering physically, but another news has also hurt her emotionally.

Lindsey Vonn lost one of her support systems

“Leo Vonn ✝️🤍 2013-2/9/2026 Leo has passed away and joined Lucy and Bear up in heaven 🪽 This has been an incredibly hard few days. Probably the hardest oh life. I still have not come to terms that he is gone…” Lindsey Vonn wrote in an emotional Instagram post, confirming her pet, Leo, had passed away recently.

“The day I crashed, so did Leo. 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. As I layed 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,” she added.

Vonn was in pain. Leo has been with her since 2014. The skier rescued him from a Florida shelter that had overlooked him because of his bad knee after a car crash. Since then, they have been each other’s support system. Not just that, the two found solace in simple things like lying on the sofa and watching sports, cuddling, and simply making each other feelsafe and loved.

Leo’s loss comes after Vonn lost her other two pets, Lucy and Bear. So, it was tough for her.

“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. Andi takes splice knowing he’s not in pain anymore,” she wrote.

The recent days haven’t been kind to Vonn. She has faced subsequent challenges, whether they be physical or mental, but she hasn’t stopped fighting for herself. For now, she hopes that Leo is happy in heaven and she can return to the mountain top to ski once again.