Norwegian skier Aleksander Aamodt Kilde ruptures Achilles in another crash

OSLO, Norway (AP) — Skiing standout Aleksander Aamodt Kilde has ruptured his Achilles tendon during a fall in preseason downhill training in Chile, the Norwegian Ski Association announced Thursday.

“Aleksander is now travelling home to Innsbruck (his base in Austria) for further medical examinations and assessment of treatment options with his trusted medical team,” the association said in a statement, adding that the crash occurred on Wednesday.

“We will provide an update once more information is available regarding the next steps.”

Kilde, Mikaela Shiffrin's fiance, was still working his way back after a severe fall in January 2024. He underwent surgery for a severe cut and nerve damage in his right calf and two torn ligaments in his shoulder, after crashing in sight of the finish at the classic Lauberhorn downhill in Wengen, Switzerland.

He returned to the World Cup last season but opted not to compete at the Milan Cortina Olympics, saying in February that “my mind and body are not performing the way I need them to.”

Kilde won the silver medal in combined and bronze in super-G at the 2022 Beijing Games.

He was also the overall World Cup champion in 2020.

The World Cup season opens with women's and men's giant slaloms on the Rettenbach glacier in Sölden, Austria, Oct. 24-25.

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