Mikaela Shiffrin's fiance Aleksander Kilde gives 2-word reaction as skier returns to World Cup in Courchevel

Mikaela Shiffrin's fiance and two-time Olympic medalist Aleksander Kilde expressed his thoughts after the skier returned to competition on Thursday. She competed in the slalom race in Courchevel, and although cautious, Shiffrin showed glimpses of her best form.

The Olympic champion crashed on the way to her 100th World Cup victory in Killington last year and had to undergo abdominal surgery, which sidelined her for nearly two months. The 29-year-old returned to competition on Thursday in Courchevel, France where she was in fifth place following the opening run of the slalom after posting 52.75s.

Shiffrin said earlier this week that she hadn't recovered fully yet, and skied cautiously during. She was slower in her second run and finished 10th.

However, Shiffrin's fiance and Norwegian skier Aleksander Kilde was elated over the American's return to competition and wrote:

"She back @mikaelashiffrin"

Aleksander Kilde's Instagram story

While Shiffrin has been chasing her 100th World Cup win since the start of the season, the 29-year-old said she wanted to prioritize her recovery and save her best for next month's World Championships.

"This is a step. This is a really big step in my recovery. But it's only one step, actually," Shiffrin said before the race.

"We're taking it as it comes. My biggest goal is to enjoy being back in the start gate again."

Meanwhile, Kilde is sidelined from the entire 2024/25 season due to a shoulder injury he sustained in a scary crash last season.

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"It was really serious" - Mikaela Shiffrin's fiance Aleksander Kilde details scary details of the crash

Mikaela Shiffrin and Aleksander Kilde at the Gold Medal Gala - Source: Getty

Mikaela Shiffrin's fiance Aleksander Kilde was going at a pace of nearly 120km/h during a downhill World Cup race in Wengen, Switzerland when he collided with safety nets and suffered multiple injuries. The Norwegian skier suffered a dislocated shoulder, two torn ligaments, and a deep calf laceration.

He was airlifted from the venue and underwent surgery afterward. The Olympic medalist reflected on the crash during an interview with CNN in January 2024 and said he was battling for survival afterwards.

"The only thing I was thinking about was sort of survival, trying to breathe and control the situation as much as I could,” Mikaela Shiffrin's fiance recalled. “I knew that I couldn’t do much myself because the pain was so severe and I had to just use my breath[ing]. Luckily, I had people around me that took care of the crucial things. I just remember my thoughts running [wild] and seeing it was really serious."

The 32-year-old had to undergo additional surgeries before the start of the season and said he needed more time for the recovery, thereby ruling himself out of 2024/25 World Cup.