– There is an unclear situation with the injury. I’m pretty positive that it will work out in the end, it’s just a matter of how long it takes. It’s too early to say if I can drive the way I want and win races again, but I have hope and I want to come back and do what I love and hopefully be competitive again.
– But right now it’s about getting back on your feet, managing and actually going and taking it day by day.
An open-hearted Aleksander Aamodt tells Kilde at a digital press conference on Thursday morning. He was asked if he is sure that he will and will return to the alpine slopes and continue his career as an alpine skier.
– I choose not to answer if I am unsure whether I will return to top level, or whether I can ski at all. It is difficult to say anything about my situation in a year’s time, because there are nerves involved that need to get better, says Kilde.
DRAMATIC: Aleksander Aamodt Kilde lay in the Wengen hill for 28 minutes before he was lifted up and taken to hospital by helicopter.
Photo: CLAUDIA GRECO / Reuters
– Don’t be afraid of death
After the ugly crash in Wengen, Kilde suffered a number of ugly injuries and was badly bruised on the face. After two successful operations, things are a little better, and the wounds on the faces have healed.
The Norwegian alpine star looks much more energetic, and the smile is loose, despite a few tough weeks.
But it was very serious.
STAR: Aleksander Aamodt Kilde is one of the biggest stars in alpine sports.
Photo: Giovanni Auletta / AP
His American girlfriend, Mikaela Shiffrin, wrote after the crash that “he is lucky to be alive at all”. When asked if he ever feared for his life, Kilde replies:
– It becomes such a survival mechanism when you lie there. But my shoulder hurt so much that it was the only thing on my mind. I was in good hands, so I was never unsure if I was going to survive. I lost a lot of blood. It’s scary in a situation like that. What Mikaela writes is true to some extent, but I didn’t have the fear of death.
– The toughest thing in my life
It has almost been three weeks since Kilde fell badly in the last turn during a downhill race in Wengen. The 31-year-old lost his balance before the last turn and crashed hard into the safety net.
It took 28 minutes from the time he crashed until he was picked up by helicopter and taken to hospital.
Aleksander Aamodt Kilde loses control and falls badly in Wengen
There he was diagnosed with a deep cut in the calf and a dislocated shoulder. He had surgery for both. He was operated on in a hospital in Bern before he was later moved to Innsbruck, and NRK received confirmation from national team doctor Marc Strauss that Kilde’s season was over.
– It may have been the toughest thing in my life. The pain I have experienced is the worst in my life. It goes beyond the psyche eventually. It has been simply painful and a tough thing. There is still pain, but it is manageable, says Kilde.
A lot of time with the girlfriend
Since the fall, he has had to take life very calmly, and while he himself had to hold the bed, he saw his girlfriend Mikaela Shiffrin also fall badly. Fortunately, it was not as dramatic for the American alpine star, and recently the two have been able to spend a lot of time together as they are both out with injuries.
STAR COUPLE: Aleksander Aamodt Kilde and Mikaela Shiffrin in the hospital together after Kilde’s fall.
Photo: Instagram.com/Akilde
– It’s not a situation we want to be in at this time of year, begins Kilde, and continues:
– We want to fight for victories in various places, but things happen in this sport. It is a risky sport and we know the risk of crashing. But it has been very nice to spend some time together. It’s also a bit silly to be in this situation where we’re both injured. The positive thing is that we get to spend time together.
Source says he saw Shiffrin fall from the infirmary. He describes it as unpleasant.
– It was tough, but she’s a badass. She got out of it pretty well and she’s in good hands too, so we’ll come back stronger, smiles Kilde.
Not afraid
If everything goes as planned and Kilde makes a comeback on the steep slopes, he is not worried that his driving will be affected by the injury.
– I think I will overcome the fear of crashing fairly easily. I have crashed before, says the 31-year-old.
In any case, the most important thing will be to be able to live normally, he emphasizes.
– The most important thing is to have a body that functions normally. Whether it’s at the top of the ski world or going to play golf with the guys doesn’t really matter. The most important thing is to be able to live normally, then you take the rest as you go, says Kilde to NRK.