Aleksander Aamodt Kilde made an emotional return to the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup on Thursday, finishing 24th in the super-G at Copper Mountain — his first race in 683 days following a horrific crash in Wengen in January 2024.
The two-time Olympic medalist and former overall World Cup champion suffered a dislocated shoulder, torn ligaments, multiple surgeries, and a severe infection that threatened both his career and his life. The 33-year-old Norwegian also battled debilitating panic attacks during a long and grueling rehabilitation.
Despite being 1.25 seconds behind winner Marco Odermatt, Kilde’s result was secondary to the sheer fact he was back on the World Cup circuit. At the finish line he dropped his poles, buried his face in his hands and broke down in tears — immediately enveloped in a long embrace by fiancée Mikaela Shiffrin, who had watched anxiously from the side of the course.
“She has supported me from day one — not just as my partner, but as an athlete who truly understands what this means,” an emotional Kilde told Norwegian broadcaster SRF. “The support I’ve received from her has been insane. I’m so grateful I get to share all of this with her. I love her.”
Shiffrin, wearing jeans and a Team USA jacket, had stood with hands clasped throughout the run, then rushed past security to meet him in the finish area for an emotional reunion that left both in tears.
Later, the most successful female skier in history (103 World Cup wins) posted on social media: “Aleks is so strong. I’m incredibly proud of him.”
Kilde’s comeback marks another step on the road to the 2026 Milano-Cortina Olympics. While the speed king of previous seasons admitted he is still far from his best, simply crossing the finish line represented a monumental personal victory — one made possible, he says, by the woman waiting for him at the bottom.
