Why Mikaela Shiffrin and I are so “open” about our relationship, according to Aleksander Aamodt Kilde

An exclusive interview with the Norwegian speedster about his encounter with Tom Cruise, his leadership qualities, and his constant high performance. The two-time Olympian also talks about what it’s like to travel to the US with his girlfriend: “I’ll always be the ‘plus one’ when I’m around Mikaela…”

Mikaela Shiffrin and Alexander Aamodt Kilde have been the “power couple” of alpine skiing for the past two seasons.

After a successful season (two Olympic medals and two small globes for the Norwegian, a fourth overall World Cup title for the American), the pair supported one another during the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. They shared a summer full of highlights on social media, from paddling and getting sunburnt together in Maui, Hawaii, to attending the Formula 1 GP in Silverstone and the glitzy ESPY awards.

Silverstone was undoubtedly one of his best experiences, Kilde told Olympics.com exclusively during a media event hosted by his sponsor Atomic in October.

In addition to meeting amazing people and enjoying the excitement surrounding Formula One and the sport in general, I had a great time at the event. It was also amazing when I shook hands with Tom Cruise, our final movie star.

The 30-year-old went to the ESPYs red carpet in July with his girlfriend for the second year in a row. The ESPYs are a classic yearly event held in the United States to honour athletes and their accomplishments. “There are many terrible things happening, like a war, COVID, and climate change. However, sports provide a lot of positive energy to those who watch from home or on location,” he thought.

Given that sports can serve as a source of inspiration for us in life, Formula One is a good example, in my opinion. And skiing, now that the fans are back. It simply makes the world a happier place. And really, what would we do if sport didn’t exist?

Shiffrin and Kilde: Managing the story

“There is a lot of interest for sure, but it’s hard for me too, because I’ve kind of experienced a change,” Kilde acknowledged, acknowledging that he isn’t used to handling greater fame.

“I am really thankful that people are interested in what I do and then like the way I kind of represent our sport.”

In the US, however, things are a little different: “They recognise Mikaela and I’m just her boyfriend,” even though the Norwegian sprinter is a huge celebrity at home. It’s definitely different in the United States, so I’ll always be the “plus one” while I’m with Mikaela. (laughs) “They don’t really care about you if you don’t play basketball.”

From the start, the public has been aware of his relationship with Shiffrin, one of the greatest skiers in history.

“We are supporting one another and having fruitful chats. Like partners do for one another, we support one another during good times and bad. The 2020 World Cup winner stated, “We’re not any different.

“The sole distinction is that we are public figures, and as such, people are somewhat more aware of what we do. Since you can see it immediately and we have complete control over it, we are rather transparent about it and don’t receive many enquiries about how things are doing. Since we have complete control over rumours, we don’t need to be afraid of them or of things we don’t want to be known. That’s really, really good, for both of us.

Kilde: The key to my reliability

Kilde’s career started off with mixed results. From 2015 to 2019, he finished on the podium 11 times at the World Cup, including three victories, but he did not win any medals at important tournaments.

He has begun to perform more consistently and successfully during the past three seasons. In 2019–20, he won the World Cup overall title with seven podiums and one victory, but an injury ended his subsequent campaign in January after he had won two races.

Kilde became the master of consistency in 2021–2022, finishing on nine World Cup podiums with seven victories and two second-place finishes. Even though he didn’t perform as well in Beijing 2022, he still won a medal in Super G and an unexpected silver in combined.

His fifth-place finish in downhill was also better than his performance in PyeongChang and Sochi, where he did not rank in the top ten in any discipline.

“They usually say that you will also gain more results, good results, with experience, especially within speed,” he clarified.

“And that’s somewhat evident in my case since for a few years there have been ups and downs, both incredibly fantastic and really horrible. And things have been quite stable up there for the past three years. Additionally, I’ve been able to deliver the level I possess and ski the manner I desire.

I kind of recognised my level when I was a little less experienced, but I was never able to demonstrate it since I was constantly making beginner mistakes. And it took some time for them to realise that, “All right, I just need to relax and have faith in myself.” And this is something I need to keep in mind for the upcoming seasons as well as what has sort of been there throughout the past few years.

In his sport, the three-time small globe champion has always been at the forefront of innovation, from creating materials to analysing his performances using GPS monitoring equipment.

“Power comes from knowledge. And since you need to know what to do and when, knowledge is unquestionably power when it comes to skiing. And one of the most important things is always preparation,” he stated.

“We can see how we’re performing in various areas of the course thanks to our GPS system. And I truly enjoy starting from the beginning, knowing what I’m meant to accomplish, having a solid strategy, and trying to carry it out.

Naturally, there are instances when things don’t go as planned and you make a mistake with your line, become overly pushy, or simply have to try, but generally, with experience—which is what I’ve gathered over the past several years—I know that if I just follow my line, I’ll be fast. Naturally, being in that position is unique, and finding that kind of balance isn’t always that simple. However, it has been functioning nicely lately, so I’m crossing my hopes that it will occur this season as well.

Kilde on the need of education in combating climate change

Kilde isn’t just interested in skiing technology. He is adamant that knowledge may influence more significant problems like climate change.

As a skier, I am limited in what I can do. Like many others, I have to sort of do my job,” he clarified.

And I recently discovered that while we can make small changes, like switching to electric vehicles, that will only account for 4% of the whole shift. Therefore, we must adopt a slightly different perspective.

“I simply wanted to learn more about the changes in the environment. Additionally, I can personally attest to the fact that the fields are becoming dryer due to the melting glaciers, which will affect our sport. Additionally, I want my children, grandchildren, and others to be able to ski.

According to Norwegians, the emphasis should be on using technology to improve farming and agriculture’s efficiency and save waste by, for instance, using less pesticides.

Therefore, it’s crucial for me to attempt to learn a little more and utilise my voice to draw attention to and interest in the topic when it comes to larger areas like food production, agriculture, and other things. We were able to view it in a way that allowed us to work more effectively. And I discovered this.

Since there is so much going on in the world and so many intelligent people are attempting to improve things, it was a lot of fun to learn that information and it’s incredibly fascinating. I also spoke to the correct individuals. I therefore desired to do that. As if I wanted to share the news. As many people as possible should be aware of the work that has been done and the things that need to be addressed right now.

Kilde: From trainee to boss

His more seasoned “Attacking Viking” comrades, Aksel Lund Svindal and Kjetil Jansrud, who penned the history of Norwegian skiing during the past ten years, were idolised by Kilde for years.

Since Jansrud retired last season, the Baerum native has assumed leadership of a team that includes young players like Atle Lie McGrath and Lucas Braathen.

“I also learnt a lot about how to handle and tackle such different situations after being a part of a team for so long and watching Svindal and Jansrud for so long,” he disclosed.

However, in my opinion, being a leader is something you are born with and cannot be improved. You must be passionate.

Now that I’m thirty, I’ve won a few races. I have solid experience. Since I did it with Axel and Kjetil, I’m hoping the younger guys are taking a cursory glance at what I did. They did a wise thing, in my opinion, and I want to set a good example for them. Naturally, they are also forging their own route. However, given all the experience I’ve gained over the past few years, I believe it’s incredibly amazing to be in that role, and it comes quite naturally to me.