Norway’s World Cup ski star Aleksander Aamodt Kilde is recovering after his heavy crash at Wengen with “the one and only Mikaela Shiffrin”, his girlfriend, at his hospital bedside.
Last season’s downhill champion underwent surgery in nearby Bern on Saturday night after falling hard near the finish of the downhill won by Marco Odermatt.
Kilde, who suffered a dislocated shoulder, posted a selfie with Shiffrin on Sunday morning, his face battered and bruised, with a message to his fans: “I’m here (and being taken care of by the one and only @mikaelashiffrin).
“Patched up…thank you so much for all of the messages. I’m grateful for all the words of love and support.”
The 2020 overall World Cup winner misjudged a jump into the final stretch of the demanding course in sunny conditions while travelling at an eye-watering 145km/h.
The 31-year-old went head over heels and flew back-first into the course netting. First aiders were quickly on the scene and tied an orange tourniquet round his right thigh before his evacuation to hospital by helicopter.
Kilde reflected: “This sport can be brutal, but I still love it.”
The Norwegian alpine national team doctor Marc Jacob Strauss reported: “Aleksander has had his shoulder dislocated, and a cut in his calf.
“He has no fractures, but is bruised. Kilde is in good hands at the hospital in Bern.”
