White wedding: Kilde and Shiffrin to tie the knot

OSLO (AFP): Alpine skiing’s golden couple Aleksander Aamodt Kilde and Mikaela Shiffrin are engaged to be married after the American superstar said “yes” when her Norwegian boyfriend proposed.

Kilde, 31, was full of the joys of spring in a chat with Norwegian TV station NRK as he revealed he was back on skis after fearing a horror crash in Wengen on January 13 could result in him never racing again.

The 2020 overall World Cup champion — who suffered a bad cut and nerve damage to his right calf and two torn ligaments with a severe laceration in a dislocated right shoulder — posted on Instagram overnight Thursday the moment he proposed with ring in hand to Shiffrin.

Two-time Olympic champion and quintuple overall World Cup champion Shiffrin, 29, has been in a relationship with Kilde since 2021.

“There have been a lot of highs and lows, that is clear, but one of the highs was being close to my family and in particular with Mikaela,” Kilde told NRK referring to his time out injured.

“During my spell in hospital in Innsbruck, I told myself the moment had come.

“I picked up the phone and ordered a ring. Thus I am now engaged.”

Shiffrin also had time off the circuit last season as a fall at the end of January sidelined her for a month and a half which cost her dearly in pursuit of a sixth World Cup overall crown.

She did return to action at the World Cup finals in mid-March where she won the crystal globe for her favoured discipline the slalom — 60 of her record 97 World Cup victories have come in the discipline.

Kilde, though, can only dream for the moment of such a return as he is gently easing himself back into racing shape.

“I will return,” he told NRK. “I sense that it is doable, that it is realistic.

“I am 31 years old and it is the best age to a certain extent. I can go on till I am 40 but now is when I must shine.

“Therefore I must return and try my luck.”