American alpine skiing legend Lindsey Vonn is going through the most difficult period of her life. Following a dramatic crash during the downhill event at the Milan-Cortina d'Ampezzo Winter Olympics, which resulted in a complex leg fracture, the athlete announced the death of her beloved dog, Leo. The four-legged companion, who had been by her side for 13 years, passed away due to lung cancer just a day after her injury.
American skier Lindsey Vonn, who stunned the sports world by coming out of retirement at 41, became the tragic heroine of the 2026 Winter Olympics. During Sunday's downhill on the Olympia delle Tofane course in Cortina d'Ampezzo, the athlete hit a gate and suffered an extremely dangerous fall. Examinations revealed a complex fracture of the tibia bone in her left leg, necessitating four surgeries while still at the Italian hospital in Treviso. However, the sporting drama was overshadowed by personal loss. Just a day after the accident, while Vonn was in intensive care, her faithful companion, the Labrador Leo, passed away. The dog had been battling lung cancer and heart failure for some time. Lindsey Vonn is one of the most decorated skiers in history, with 82 World Cup victories. Her career has been marked by numerous injuries, including ACL tears, making her return to sport in 2024 an unprecedented event. The athlete has already been transported by a specialized medical plane to the United States. She described the logistics of the return as an extremely difficult challenge, involving multiple ambulance transfers and stays at several medical facilities. She is currently in an American hospital, preparing for a fifth reconstructive surgery. Medical experts emphasize that with such an extensive injury – where the leg was literally left "in ruins" – the doctors' priority was primarily to save the limb from amputation. In moving social media posts, Vonn admitted that losing her friend at a time of such immense physical suffering is a burden almost too heavy to bear. <cytat autor=