Emotional scenes
After 685 days: Ski star celebrates comeback – Star tears
November 27, 2025 – 11:26 p.mReading time: 2 minutes
Aleksander Aamodt Kilde had to take a long break after a serious injury. Now he’s back – after his first race, a celebrity gets particularly emotional at the track.
Almost two years after his serious accident in Wengen, Aleksander Aamodt Kilde has returned to the World Cup. At the Super-G in Copper Mountain, the Norwegian took 24th place on his comeback after a 685-day break – but the result was of secondary importance for him.
At the first speed race of the season, the focus was not on victory, but rather on the return of an athlete who had to fear for his career for a long time. With the success of Marco Odermatt, who once again demonstrated his exceptional position in the Alpine Ski World Cup, Kilde started with start number 22.
His fiancée Mikaela Shiffrin was excited in the finish area. When Kilde crossed the finish line and waved to the audience, the American reacted emotionally. She could be seen shedding tears behind her sunglasses before there was a warm hug.
Kilde was seriously injured on the Lauberhorn descent in Wengen in January 2024. A deep cut on his lower leg and a shoulder dislocation forced the 2020 overall World Cup winner to take a long break. Multiple surgeries and an infection in his shoulder delayed the healing process. In the meantime, Kilde was in a wheelchair.
The 33-year-old later spoke openly about this time in interviews and on social media. The pictures from the hospital and his descriptions caused a stir. Before the comeback, Kilde said that he would probably have shoulder problems for the rest of his life.
With a view to the Olympic Games in February, the return to the World Cup should still be an important signal. The German team finished in 20th (Simon Jocher), 37th (Romed Baumann) and 61st (Anton Grammel) in the Super-G.