In the glow of Mikaela Shiffrin’s commanding women’s slalom gold at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, her fiancé Aleksander Aamodt Kilde delivered one of the most heartfelt shout-outs of the Games, hailing her “mental strength” as truly “out of this world.”
The Norwegian Alpine star, sidelined from these Olympics due to his own injury recovery, took to Instagram shortly after Shiffrin’s victory to pen an emotional tribute: “Mikaela, what you did today shows that your mental strength is out of this world. Four years ago you left the Olympics with more questions than answers. Today, you answered every single one. You shut all our mouths and showed the world who the queen is 👑. I’ve seen all the work you’ve put in both physically and mentally over the last years – you are my biggest inspiration and I’m a proud fiancé to say it at least. I love you ❤️”
Kilde’s words perfectly captured the narrative surrounding Shiffrin’s performance. The 30-year-old American legend reclaimed Olympic slalom glory 12 years after her Sochi 2014 breakthrough, posting a dominant combined time of 1:39.10 to win by 1.50 seconds over Switzerland’s Camille Rast (silver) and 1.71 seconds ahead of Sweden’s Anna Swenn-Larsson (bronze). It marked her third Olympic gold and fourth medal overall, ending an eight-year individual Olympic medal drought since PyeongChang 2018.
Shiffrin’s path to this redemption was anything but smooth. After a challenging start to the Games — including 11th in giant slalom and no podium in earlier events — she openly navigated mental health challenges, including PTSD from past crashes (notably a 2024 incident in Killington), grief over her late father Jeff’s 2020 death, and the pressure of expectations. She described the win as a “spiritual” moment, pausing at the finish line to connect internally with loved ones before erupting in celebration.
Kilde, a two-time Olympic medalist himself and Shiffrin’s partner since 2021 (engaged in 2024), has been a constant source of support through her highs and lows. His post resonated widely, with fans and media highlighting how the couple’s mutual inspiration has fueled both their careers amid injuries and setbacks.
Shiffrin’s victory not only silenced doubters but reinforced her status as one of Alpine skiing’s all-time greats, with over 100 World Cup wins and unmatched resilience. As Kilde declared, today she proved she’s the undisputed queen — on and off the snow.
