“Now I’m more of an underdog”: Ahead of Cortina, Aleksander Aamodt Kilde talks recovery, confidence and getting back on the race track

There are few locales in alpine skiing that carry as much mythology and gravitas as Kitzbühel. Each January, the Tyrolean town becomes the epicentre of the sport, its narrow streets and snow-packed slopes charged with history, ambition and the electric presence of spectators lining the Hahnenkamm race track. For Norway’s star Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, returning to Kitzbühel this winter was never going to feel routine. Even without a race number on his back, simply being there still mattered: another step in a comeback that has been far from straightforward.

Unfortunately, a flare-up in his back during training the Sunday before race week ruled the 33-year-old out of competition. It was, he admits, deeply disappointing. But perspective has become a familiar companion after his fair share of personal and professional setbacks. “Just being in Kitzbühel is always special,” he says. “The atmosphere, the history and the people make it one of those places that reminds you why you do this sport.”

That perspective has been hard-earned. In January 2024, Kilde suffered a major crash during the Lauberhorn downhill in Wengen – a violent fall that left him with multiple injuries and marked a turning point in his career. What followed was not a neat recovery arc, but a long, uneven process marked by setbacks, uncertainty and recalibration.

Since we last spoke to Kilde in 2024 for a Vogue Scandinavia feature at his Norwegian fjord retreat (alongside his fiancée and fellow alpine icon Mikaela Shiffrin), much has changed. Kilde’s recovery has continued to unfold in ways that have surprised even him, but what has struck him most is how little precedent there is for a return – even for an athlete who has navigated comebacks before. “Every comeback is different and differently demanding,” he explains. Unlike the sport’s more familiar fractures or impact injuries, his recent setbacks have required a different kind of patience – and confidence. “You think you know the process,” he adds, “but each comeback brings its own challenges. I've also really come to understand how important consistency is, both physically and mentally."

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Consistency, he says, is what ultimately allows confidence to return, and the question of confidence feels particularly resonant as the Winter Olympics edge closer. The prospect of another Olympic cycle arrives at a very different moment in Kilde’s career than the last. In the 2022 Beijing games, he entered as one of the favourites (a position that carries its own particular weight, mind you). This time, the framing is almost reversed. “Now I’m more of an underdog,” he says. “That’s a new and slightly unusual position for me.”

In alpine skiing, the Olympic narrative is never as singular as it might be in other sports. The World Cup circuit continues to dominate the calendar, demanding consistency across multiple seasons rather than a single peak moment. For Kilde, that reality feels grounding. The goal is not to put everything on hold for one event, but to perform steadily, building toward that Olympic moment while remaining competitive year after year. At this stage, that long view matters more than ever.

After everything his body has been through, it would be reasonable to assume his relationship with speed and risk has changed. In truth, he says, it hasn’t – not fundamentally. What has shifted is the emphasis on preparation. When the body is ready to handle the forces of elite skiing again, and when positive experiences at speed begin to stack up, confidence follows naturally. “Preparation and trust in your body are everything,” he says.

Away from the slopes, balance comes in different forms. Kilde and Shiffrin, both live under extraordinary professional pressure but that shared reality has become a point of understanding rather than strain. “Pressure has always been part of our lives,” he says. What matters most now is how they use the rare moments of stillness they find together. “When we do get time together, the most valuable thing is the calm. Those moments allow us to reflect, recharge, and step back from what is otherwise a very busy lifestyle.”

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These days, motivation comes less from podiums and more from progress. Kilde speaks about training with measured optimism, focused on incremental gains rather than dramatic milestones: “I’m purely motivated by the progress I’m seeing in training,” he says. “Every small step forward matters. I’m extremely motivated to translate that progress into racing and to become competitive again. That’s the clear goal driving me each day.” It’s a mindset that aligns closely with his long-standing partnership with BOSS, whose 'Be Your Own Boss' philosophy centres on confidence under pressure something Kilde says resonates strongly at this point in his journey. “That BOSS mentality is about trusting the process and believing in yourself, especially when things aren’t easy,” he says. “That’s exactly where I am right now.”

His relationship with the brand has endured through injury, recovery and uncertainty – a continuity he does not take lightly. While he describes BOSS as a natural fit, both professionally and personally, it is the people behind the brand that matter most to him. “BOSS is certainly one of the coolest brands out there, and one that fits me extremely well as an athlete and as a person,” he says.

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And clothing definitely plays a role in his mindset too. Kilde names BOSS’s relaxed-fit performance suits as his favourites. “They both look amazing and are comfortable to wear,” he notes.

With the next Winter Olympics approaching, his focus remains on being ready – physically and mentally – when racing resumes. Until then, the work and the progress continues. That's what it means for Kilde to be his own Boss right now.