Aleksander Aamodt Kilde made a comeback to the World Cup circuit on Nov. 27, nearly two years after his crash in Wengen, Switzerland.

What happened?

He suffered a dislocated shoulder, two torn shoulder ligaments, and a major laceration on his calf, requiring urgent surgery due to nerve damage.

Injury and Recovery

Kilde's crash sent him sliding into the netting at 120 kilometers per hour, and he passed out, waking up shortly after in immense pain.

He was rushed to the hospital for treatment and later posted photos of his gruesome injuries on Instagram, shocking his fans with the intensity of the damage.

Road to Recovery

His then-girlfriend, now fiancée, Mikaela Shiffrin, rushed to the hospital and was with him when he woke up from surgery.

Kilde contracted sepsis in June 2024 during his recovery, describing the infection as “a matter of life and death,” and was forced to undergo another surgery to remove the infection.

Comeback Race

After nearly two years of recovery battles, Kilde made his comeback in the Super G World Cup race at Copper Mountain, Colorado, on Nov. 27, finishing 24th, tied with Kyle Negomir of the United States.

Shiffrin was there supporting him, in tears as her fiancé crossed the finish line.

This return race was not about winning for him — it was about getting back on skis and getting back to competition on the snow.

Kilde skied with ambition and drive, pushing down the slope with everything he had.

The intense injury Kilde underwent may have caused not only physical but also mental blocks, and it remains to be seen whether this will hold him back as he continues his career.

Kilde had built a decorated career before the injury, earning 21 World Cup victories since his debut at Sölden in 2012.

He went to his first Olympic Games in Sochi 2014, where he landed 13th in the Super G but did not finish in the Downhill and Super Combined races.

In PyeongChang in 2018, he landed 13th in the Super G, 15th in the Downhill, 21st in the Alpine Combined, and fell in the Giant Slalom.

Kilde received his first two Olympic medals in Beijing in 2022, earning bronze in the Super G and silver in the Alpine Combined.

Given his past results and growth throughout the Olympic Games, he had a chance to excel for the rest of his career.

But the injury posed a major setback — one he will have to fully recover from to recreate his previous success in the sport.

Kilde began on-snow training again in August 2025, after undergoing another surgery to reconstruct his shoulder in February 2025.

The recovery process was “a never-ending story,” according to Kilde, who revealed in an Instagram post that he had returned to the hospital as the infection returned even after three weeks of antibiotic treatment.

Kilde spent seven weeks in a wheelchair, further delaying his recovery, after undergoing surgery to remove the infection.

He had a long and challenging road to recovery, but Kilde proved everyone wrong by making his comeback to the World Cup circuit.

And now, Kilde will look to build on his comeback and regain his form as one of the top skiers in the world.

But for now, he can take pride in his determination and perseverance, which allowed him to overcome a horrific injury and get back on the slopes.

Kilde's fiancée, Mikaela Shiffrin, was a constant source of support throughout his recovery, and her presence at the finish line was a testament to their strong relationship.

As Kilde continues his career, he will face new challenges and obstacles, but he has already shown that he has the strength and resilience to overcome them.

And with his comeback complete, Kilde can now focus on his next goal: regaining his position as one of the top skiers in the world.

The future is uncertain, but one thing is clear: Aleksander Aamodt Kilde is back, and he's ready to compete at the highest level.