Ski ace Kilde in Val Gardena: About his love for Mikaela Shiffrin and more

Her season came to an abrupt end after she tore her cruciate ligament in January. How are you now?

Aleksander Aamodt Kilde: “Relatively well, of course it's difficult to say how I feel while skiing. So far I've only made loose turns, but it feels like it's going quite well. What's missing is a little muscle strength. It will take a few more months until I am at the right level.”

Does your knee still sometimes hurt when doing strength exercises?

“No, not that, but I notice that I still lack strength in my right leg. That is also understandable. I know that I have lost muscle mass in my right leg that needs to be regained. I was told I was missing about 300 grams of muscle there.”

Will we see you at the World Cup opener in Sölden?

“Sölden is the goal, but I don’t know whether it will be enough until then. I'm working hard on my comeback with my team and have to find out in training how well the knee is already working and how far I am from maximum performance. I will make a decision a week before Sölden. Lake Louise is of course more realistic. But Sölden could also be a good interim test to determine where I am compared to my competitors.”

Have you already set your goals for the comeback season?

“This is the first serious injury for me, so it's hard to say how my body will behave. I need to figure out how my mind and body work together. But I can already feel that I can ski quickly again.”

Have you asked colleagues who had the same injury and gotten tips?

"Yes and no. We had a lot of cruciate ligament injuries in the Norwegian team, so we listen to what the others have to say. Ultimately, I always make my own decisions. You can consult with others, but everyone’s healing process is different.”

What was it like watching the World Cup only on TV? Did you even watch the races?

“It was strange and unusual not to be able to ski, but you have to stay positive to be able to deal with a situation like that. I always watched my colleagues on TV and was able to learn a lot that way. Normally I can't watch a race because I always drive myself. It was very nice and cool to see how well they all drive.”

They were in top form last winter. What went through your mind when it became clear that the cruciate ligament was torn?

“It was difficult to deal with mentally at first, but injuries like this are part of this sport. You’re at the top, and all it takes is one swing and you’re at the bottom.”

They continued the tradition of Norwegian victories on the Saslong in Val Gardena last season. Why are the Norwegians so strong on this slope?

“We just feel comfortable here. It's beautiful, the people are very friendly and the food is really good. We Norwegians are technically good, which of course helps us on the Saslong. The Norwegians and Val Gardena just fit together.”

Kilde received, among other things, a wooden bust for his victory in Val Gardena. © hkmedia

You once had the South Tyrolean Franz Gamper as your coach. Are you still in contact with him?

“He was our coach when I came to the World Cup. I learned a lot from him. With him as coach, we once achieved a triple success in the Super-G in Val Gardena. That was my first podium finish in the World Cup. We still hear each other from time to time.”

During your injury you also found your personal happiness. What has changed since Mikaela Shiffrin became her friend?

“Normally Mikaela and I wouldn't have so much time for each other, but now we have plenty of it. Mikaela is just a great and beautiful girl, we get along really well. We do the same thing and have the same mentality, so we get along very well and we can share a lot of experiences. We were always in touch from day 1 of my injury and wrote to each other almost every day. Mikaela had to go through a lot with her father's death and we help each other, it's really easy to talk to her. She helped me a lot during the time of the injury. Of course we don’t just talk about skiing, we know that there are so many more important things in life.”

Is Mikaela in America right now?

"Yes. She is now in America preparing for the upcoming season. I'm not sure when she'll come back to Europe. But we’ll see each other in front of Sölden.”

Is it difficult for you to have a relationship in the spotlight?

“We've talked about it, but we don't think the attention is that bad. We don't see why we should hold anything back, it doesn't help. If things work as well as they do between us right now, then there's nothing to hide. This makes it easier, also for the media and the fans, who don’t have to speculate about us for no reason.”

They were with her in New York. How was it?

“New York is a beautiful city, but a few days there are enough. I noticed that Mikaela is a superstar in America. At times I felt like I was her bodyguard. “

Interview: Otto Schöpf, Tobias Unterhofer

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Ski ace Kilde in Val Gardena: About his love for Mikaela Shiffrin and more

Aleksander Aamodt Kilde skis very fast. However, when he is interviewed, he is in no hurry at all. He takes his time and also provides information when it comes to private matters.

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