Kilde Faces Fitness Battle: Race Against Time for Olympic Glory

Norwegian skier Aleksander Aamodt Kilde withdrew from the Kitzbuehel super-G race due to ongoing back issues. Following previous serious injuries, his Olympic participation remains uncertain. Kilde aims to compete in Crans Montana as the final trial before the Milano Cortina Olympics, where he's running out of time to prove fitness.

Norwegian skier Aleksander Aamodt Kilde pulled out from the Kitzbuehel World Cup super-G race on Friday, amid ongoing struggles with a back injury. His participation in the upcoming Milano Cortina Olympics remains uncertain.

Kilde had withdrawn from Saturday's iconic Hahnenkamm downhill, hoping to test his fitness in the super-G. However, according to Norwegian team manager Michael Rottensteiner, although his back is improving, Kilde is not yet race-ready. Aiming for a comeback next week at Crans Montana, he faces a tight timeline to verify fitness for the Olympics.

The 33-year-old skier, who secured a bronze in super-G at the 2022 Beijing Games, has been recovering from severe shoulder and leg injuries and an infection from a January 2024 crash in Wengen, Switzerland. This season, his best finish is eleventh in the downhill at Beaver Creek, yet he remains determined to recover and gain momentum before the Olympic downhill event in just over two weeks.

(With inputs from agencies.)