Mikaela Shiffrin pays heartfelt tribute to fiance Aleksander Kilde as he misses Birds of Prey World Cup with shoulder injury

Mikaela Shiffrin has paid a heartwarming tribute to fiance Aleksander Kilde as he misses the Birds of Prey World Cup race for the first time in five years. The Norwegian skier suffered a devastating crash last season and has ruled himself out of the current season as well.

Kilde was injured during a downhill race in Wengen, Switzerland in January 2024 and had to be airlifted to a hospital before undergoing a shoulder repair injury. He didn't any further part in skiing that season and was working toward full recovery before an infection developed in his shoulder.

The 2019/20 Overall World Cup winner announced in late October that he had to undergo another shoulder injury and would miss the entirety of the 2024/25 season as well as his favorite venue in Beaver Creek, Colorado. Ahead of the annual Birds of Prey World Cup event at the venue where he has won the last four consecutive races, the 32-year-old received a special tribute from the International Skiing Federation.

"🥹 @akilde has dominated the legendary Birds of Prey, winning the last 4 races held here. 🏆🏆🏆🏆 This year, unfortunately, he won’t be racing. 😢 We’ll miss you, Aleksander! 🙌," the skiing federation wrote on their Instagram handle.

The page also shared a video recounting Kilde's wins at the venue as his fiancee Mikaela Shiffrin joined them in paying tribute to the Norwegian. Reacting to the post, the American skier commented with a series of heart emojis.

"❤️❤️❤️," she posted.

Mikaela Shiffrin reacts to Aleksander Kilde's reel - Source: @fisalpine on Instagram

Shiffrin will also miss the Birds of Prey World Cup race after suffering an injury during a giant slalom race at the Killington World Cup. The 29-year-old is just one win away from reaching the iconic milestone of 100 World Cup victories.

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"It's pretty cool!” - Mikaela Shiffrin on nearing 100th World Cup victory

Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup - Mikaela Shiffrin in action during Women's Giant Slalom - Source: Getty

With 99 wins to her name on the World Cup circuit, Mikaela Shiffrin is the winningest skier in the history of the sport and arguably the greatest of all time with none of the other male or female athletes having won more than 86 in their careers while she is already on the verge of crossing the 100-mark.

Speaking in an interview with Olympics.com about what it meant for her and the sport, she said:

"If I take a step back and I just think about the sport and what it means that any athlete got to 97 or is close to getting 100. It's... I mean, it's pretty cool!”

While the 29-year-old doesn't see her career or its impact in numbers, she hopes to inspire the next generation of skiers.

"It's pretty weird to say that I'm that athlete, and I hope that the next generation can maybe take it a step further or find other ways to reset records or, you know, break boundaries. Like, that's one of the most fun things that I love about sports is watching athletes push the limits of what's possible," Mikaela Shiffrin added.

The two-time Olympic champion made her first attempt at the 100th World Cup victory in Killington but it ended up in a crash. She is expected to miss the entirety of December and will likely return to competitive action at Kranjska Gora in Slovakia, where two giant slalom and slalom races are scheduled for January 4 and 5 respectively.