Lindsey Vonn reveals her dog Leo died the day after her Winter Olympics crash

Vonn suffered a complex leg fracture when clipping a gate and falling just seconds into her run earlier this month, with the 41-year-old airlifted to hospital and subsequently undergoing a string of operations before returning to America, where she will have further surgery.

In a post on Instagram, Vonn paid tribute to 13-year-old Leo, who she said had recently been diagnosed with lung cancer.

She said: “This has been an incredibly hard few days. Probably the hardest of my life. I have still not come to terms that he is gone.

“The day I crashed, so did Leo, He had been recently diagnosed with lung cancer 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 laid 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.”

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She concluded: “There will never be another Leo. He will always be my first love.

“Heading in for more surgery today. Will be thinking of him when I close my eyes.

“I will love you forever my big boy.”