Just days after claiming another historic Olympic moment on the slopes, U.S. alpine skiing legend Mikaela Shiffrin is opening up about the bumpy start to her fairy-tale romance with Norwegian star Aleksander Aamodt Kilde — and it’s got fans everywhere swooning over the ultimate comeback story.
In a candid new interview amid the buzz of the 2026 Winter Olympics, Shiffrin revealed that her now-fiancé once “ghosted” her after she accidentally turned him down early in their connection. The couple, who got engaged in April 2024, first sparked via Instagram in winter 2020, shortly after the tragic loss of Shiffrin’s father. Kilde reached out with a supportive message, and things seemed promising — until a flirty misunderstanding derailed it.
“I sort of denied him,” Shiffrin admitted with a laugh, explaining she thought she was being playful but he took it as a full rejection. “He ghosted me after that!” The silence lasted until persistence (and perhaps some ski-world fate) brought them back together. Shiffrin credits Kilde’s determination for not giving up, turning what could have been a missed connection into one of sport’s most admired power couples.
Fast-forward to today: The duo has been each other’s rock through injuries, recoveries, and Olympic pressures. Kilde, a two-time Olympic medalist, suffered a horrific crash in 2024 that sidelined him, yet he and Shiffrin leaned on one another. “We’ve been a rock for each other,” Kilde has said, and Shiffrin’s recent triumphs — including her dominant slalom performance — have seen him cheering loudest, posting heartfelt tributes praising her “out-of-this-world” mental strength.
With wedding plans on hold until after the Games to keep their focus sharp, this “ghosting” anecdote has only made their love story more relatable and inspiring. From awkward DMs to Olympic ringside support, Shiffrin and Kilde prove that sometimes the biggest wipeouts lead to the sweetest victories — on and off the mountain.
Fans are calling it “the ultimate slow-burn romance,” and with Shiffrin’s gold-medal glow still fresh, the internet is flooded with heart emojis. Who knew a little ghosting could lead to forever?
