Mikaela Shiffrin’s fiance, Aleksander Kilde, reacts after the skier wins record-tying 15th medal at the World Championships

Mikaela Shiffrin’s boyfriend, two-time Olympic medallist Aleksander Kilde, shared his comments after the American skier earned a record-tying 15th World Championship medal. She earned the gold medal in the newly created team competition, alongside childhood teammate Breezy Johnson.

Shiffrin is returning after a two-month injury sabbatical and did not confirm her participation in the combined team event until Monday, February 10. However, she was close to her best in Tuesday’s (February 11) event, finishing third quickest in the slalom run.

Johnson, who won the downhill world championship last week, set the fourth quickest time in downhill. Shiffrin became the only skier with more than seven gold medals at the World Championships as the American duo finished in 2:40.89, surpassing Toni Sailer, Marielle Goitschel, Anja Pärson, and Marcel Hirscher.

It was Shiffrin’s 15th career medal, tying her with Christl Cranz as the most decorated skier in World Championships history. Her fiance, Aleksander Kilde, couldn’t be happier and uploaded an Instagram story with a pair of passionate emojis to convey his pleasure, writing:

 

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Shiffrin and Kilde have been dating since 2021, and they announced their engagement in March last year. The Norwegian racer will miss the full 2024/25 alpine ski season to recover from last year’s tragic crash.

Kilde sustained severe injuries after colliding into the safety netting at a downhill World Cup competition in Wengen, Switzerland. He had to be flown from the course and has had several operations since.

“I’m inspired by this event” – Mikaela Shiffrin after winning the first-ever combined team event at the World Championships

Mikaela Shiffrin at the Audi FIS Alpine World Ski Championships – (Source: Getty)

The combined team made their World Championships debut on Tuesday, and Mikaela Shiffrin has fallen in love with them. The American skier, who won the event’s inaugural gold medal on Tuesday, said the new event’s team structure inspired her.

“I’m inspired by this event, which is something a little unexpected,” Mikaela Shiffrin said on Peacock. “The vibe around it, teaming up and feeling like we’re doing it together was so cool.”

After a terrifying collision in Killington last year, the 29-year-old underwent stomach surgery and returned to the slopes on January 30. She won her eighth World Championship gold medal on Tuesday and will now compete for her ninth in Saturday’s slalom.