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Aleksander Aamodt Kilde and Mikaela Shiffrin after the World Cup final in Andorra, 2023
Photo:
Harald Steiner / GEPA pictures / IMAGO
Ski superstars Mikaela Shiffrin and Aleksander Aamodt Kilde have gotten engaged. The exceptional American athlete published several pictures of herself and her Norwegian boyfriend in Innsbruck, Austria, and proudly held a sparkling ring into the camera. Shiffrin's spokeswoman Megan Harrod confirmed the engagement to the German Press Agency on Friday.
The 29-year-old and the speed specialist, 31, beamed in the photos, and the entire ski circus reacted enthusiastically. Among the first to congratulate were the French world champion Alexis Pinturault and the American alpine legend Bode Miller. Shiffrin's teammate Breezy Johnson had a special idea. “So Aleksander will start for the USA soon?” she asked.
Two of the most successful skiers in the world
Shiffrin and Kilde have officially been a couple for around three years. In a YouTube series, the two let their fans share in their life as racing drivers.
Shiffrin is considered the best female ski racer in history. She currently has 97 World Cup victories, more than any other athlete before. She could have broken the 100 win mark this season, but was out for several weeks after a fall. In total, she won the overall World Cup five times, became world champion seven times and won Olympic gold twice.
Kilde is one of the best downhill skiers of his generation; in 2020 he won the overall World Cup. This season, however, he had a serious fall in Wengen in January and had to be rescued by helicopter. Among other things, he suffered a deep cut on his calf and his nerves were also affected. In March he told the “FAZ”: “In general, the challenge for me is to get out of the wheelchair again.”
He has now succeeded. It is still unclear whether he will return to racing. After his fall, Kilde also repeatedly criticized the tight schedule in the World Cup, which contributed to numerous falls.
kjo/dpa