Norway's alpine skier Aleksander Aamodt Kilde has announced he will skip the upcoming Milano-Cortina Olympics after struggling to regain full fitness from a back injury. The 33-year-old returned to competition this season following a severe crash last year but cited ongoing physical challenges as the reason for ending his season early. Kilde expressed disappointment but highlighted his pride in simply making a comeback.
BORMIO, Italy — On Tuesday, February 3, Norway's Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, a 33-year-old alpine skiing star, revealed he will not compete in the Milano-Cortina Olympics. The decision stems from his inability to fully recover from a back injury that has hampered his training and racing.
Kilde had made a remarkable return to the World Cup circuit this season after missing the entire previous one due to a serious crash. In January 2024, during a downhill race in Wengen, Switzerland, he suffered severe injuries to his shoulder and leg, followed by an infection. He underwent five operations and was sidelined for months.
His comeback began in November at Copper Mountain, Colorado, but back problems forced him out of the Kitzbuehel downhill. Racing in Crans-Montana proved difficult, and his best result this season was an 11th-place finish in the downhill at Beaver Creek.
"With the sudden jump in full-speed training, my body has needed more time than my mind would like," Kilde said in a statement on Instagram. "That's led to the back issues that kept me out of Kitzbuehel and made racing in Crans-Montana anything but easy. Because of that, I've decided to end my season earlier than planned."
The skier, who is engaged to American slalom champion Mikaela Shiffrin, won bronze in super-G at the 2022 Beijing Olympics. He also claimed the World Cup downhill title in 2022 and 2023, and was the overall World Cup champion in 2020.
"I have done everything in my power to be able to participate in the Olympics, but my body and mind are not ready," Kilde added. "Returning to the World Cup this season already means more to me than I could have imagined a year ago. Just making it back was a victory I'll always be proud of."
Kilde's absence will be a blow to Norway's strong alpine team as they prepare for the Games.
