Mikaela Shiffrin relives 'really scary' moment watching Aleksander Aamodt Kilde's miracle escape

ByAlex Livie

Published 22/01/2023 at 16:20 GMT

It's possible Aleksander Aamodt Kilde's life flashed before his eyes on Friday, as he came within inches of a massive crash in the downhill at Kitzbuhel on Friday. He somehow made the save, much to the relief of his partner Mikaela Shiffrin who watched on from Cortina d'Ampezzo. “I don’t know if there are words,” Shiffrin said of the incident in Austria.

Mikaela Shiffrin has described her partner Aleksander Aamodt Kilde's amazing save in the first downhill at Kitzbuhel as “so crazy.”

Kilde lost all chance of victory on Friday when he got out of shape towards the bottom of the run on the traverse and looked destined to hit the safety netting at high speed, only to seemingly defy gravity and make the turn.

It was a scary moment, equally so for women’s superstar Shiffrin who watched wide-eyed from her own event in Cortina d'Ampezzo.

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“I don’t know if there are words,” Shiffrin told Eurosport. “He was so crazy on the first race, that was scary to watch and for him really scary to live through.”

While it was a hair-raising moment, Kilde shrugged it off as he bounced back to claim victory in the second downhill of the weekend in Kitzbuhel 24 hours later.

“Yesterday he put everything back together and I don’t know what to say,” Shiffrin said. “Unbelievable.

“It was so cool to watch his run, we watched it on a replay which was good because it was less nerve-wracking.”

‘And it is perfect’ – Kilde wins again in Kitzbuhel

• Stuhec wins in Cortina d'Ampezzo
• Ryding claims superb podium in Kitzbuhel slalom

A full crowd was back at Kitzbuhel for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic, and Shiffrin said that would have made the victory extra special for Kilde.

“I don’t think he knew what to say,” Shiffrin. “Winning Kitzbuhel this year when the fans are back, the whole thing, the whole party, is cool.”

Shiffrin endured a frustrating weekend of her own in Cortina as she came up short in three races as she looks to break out of a tie with Lindsey Vonn for the most World Cup wins from a woman in the history of the sport.

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Stream the 2022-23 Alpine Skiing World Cup live on discovery+ and eurosport.co.uk.

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