Aleksander Aamodt Kilde aims to build on past successes. © APA / BARBARA GINDL

Kilde's message to the competition: "I'm not finished"

His motivation seems as powerful as his thighs. Aleksander Aamodt Kilde is back on the slopes after a long injury layoff, and the Norwegian downhill star is planning his comeback at the beginning of December at the Ski World Cup in Beaver Creek. He says he's never had more fun on skis than he is now.

10 October 2025

From: apa/sn

"I'm not finished yet; I still have several years," Kilde explained at an appointment with his ski equipment supplier. It was 21 months ago when Kilde cut his lower leg and suffered a complex shoulder injury during a wild fall on the Wengen downhill. He required five surgeries, and with sepsis resulting from an infection in his shoulder, the situation was critical.

Always supporting him: Mikaela Shiffrin, who is an "anchor" and "motivator" on his arduous path. Kilde is certain: "No one is perfect as a person, but she comes close to perfection."

Injury phase as a school of life

The dream ski couple has been engaged for a year and a half, but they've postponed their wedding until after their careers. That could be sooner – or later. Shiffrin absolutely refused to rule out a start at the 2030 Olympic Games in France. She estimated the odds at "50:50." Kilde, too, feels at 33, the ideal age for a downhill skier. "We can ski until 42." He doesn't think that will happen, though. "But it's possible." If his health allows it and the fun factor is right, he'll ski as long as possible, said the winner of 21 World Cup races. "When the joy is gone, the playful element goes away too, and then it's all over."

Mikaela Shiffrin and Aleksander Aamodt Kilde. © ANSA / JEAN-CHRISTOPHE BOTT

The mindset of the Innsbruck-based Norwegian also allows him to draw some positives from the past difficult months. As a top athlete, he sees this time as a "challenge" that could be "quite interesting for life after skiing." "Then I can look back and say: I did it. I hope I can ski as well as I did before the injury; that would be really cool. But I can't expect that."

No fear of the Kitz start

In August, he was back on skis at the Norwegian team's Chile camp. Physically, he feels at 80 percent, as his shoulder's range of motion is still limited. Mentally, he feels ready for a return to the icy, high-speed slopes. He has often wondered what it would be like to ski in Wengen. Today, he says: "It's possible. Kitzbühel, too."

"I want to go fast. I want to win." Aleksander Aamodt Kilde

He'll then start with 100 percent commitment, but probably with a bit less risk. Will he then be fast enough to beat people like Marco Odermatt or Franjo von Allmen, who are riding at full throttle? "That will certainly be difficult – but not impossible." For now, though, Kilde has to practice patience. "I'd like to go fast. I'd like to win. But everything will be taken one step at a time."