Shiffrin and Kilde announce engagement, and Aleksander's return to skiing

(Patria) - American skier Mikaela Shiffrin and Aleksander Aamodt Kilde announced their engagement, as well as the Norwegian's return to skiing after a serious fall in January. The couple, who have officially been together since 2021, posted photos on Instagram on Thursday night to Friday, showing Kilde giving Shiffrin a ring.

The 31-year-old Norwegian said he made the decision in the hospital while recovering from injuries sustained during a downhill race in Wengen on January 13. "There have been many ups and downs, that's clear, but one of the ups was the closeness with my family, and especially with Mikaela. While I was in the hospital in Innsbruck, I told myself it was time. I got a ring, so I'm engaged now," Kilde said.

With his fall in Wengen, he dislocated his shoulder and injured his lower leg, requiring surgery. In February, he said he was unsure if he would be able to return to competition, but now he has announced plans to return. "I will return. I feel it's possible, that it's realistic. I am 31 years old and my best years are ahead of me. I can continue until I'm 40... I have to go back and try my luck again," Kilde said.

Kilde was the World Cup champion in the 2019/20 season, and he also won two small Crystal Globes each in downhill and super-G. Shiffrin, a five-time overall World Cup winner and two-time Olympic champion, has 97 World Cup victories, including 60 in slalom, her favorite discipline in which she has won eight small globes.