Everything We Know About Mikaela Shiffrin’s Boyfriend, Aleksander Kilde

Mikaela Shiffrin may not have snagged her third Olympic gold medal this year, but the two-time Olympic champion (and six-time World champion) is still a force to be reckoned with.

The 29-year-old skier made history as the youngest slalom champion, and as of 2022, she’s the only athlete with wins in all six FIS Alpine Ski World Cup disciplines. But since we’re already familiar with her impressive skills on the slopes, we’re curious to know more about her dating life—or more specifically, her boyfriend Aleksander Kilde. How did their relationship begin? And when did they make it IG official? Keep reading for all the details.

Kilde, 29, is a former football player and Norwegian World Cup alpine ski racer, who competes in both downhill and super-G (super giant slalom).

He previously competed at the Sochi 2014 and PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games, where he finished 13th in super-G. He’s also a 2013 Junior World giant slalom champion, and in three other World Championships, he scored six top-10 finishes.

Per AP News, the skier can bench press a whopping 300 pounds, earning him nicknames like "Ironman" and the "Arnold Schwarzenegger of skiing."

According to the official Olympics website, he started skiing as a child with his family in Norway. They lived near a ski hill at the time, and Kilde wanted to follow in his big brother’s footsteps.

He previously explained what drew him to the sport, saying, "I love the adrenaline and the feeling of speed and clean turns down the mountain."

If he had his way, Kilde would most likely still be playing football. However, he realized that he needed to focus his attention on just one sport.

Per the official Olympics site, he said, "It was a really hard decision, but in the end, I decided to be a skier and I am more than happy about that. Obviously, playing in a stadium with thousands of spectators would be amazing, but the feeling I have every time I drop out of the start gate is unbeatable." Sounds like he made the right choice.

As it turns out, the two first met over six years ago (most likely during the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup), and it was Kilde who made the first move. But when he asked her out, she turned him down.

Shriffin told Reuters, "We met somewhere around seven years ago, and I think he started the conversation by saying ‘Hi.’ He also sent the first friend request. He technically asked me on a date later that year, but I sort of denied him. I thought I was being cute, but he seems to have taken it as a rejection."

Even after Shiffrin’s rejection, she noted that Klide remained “nice and friendly” towards her and “very respectful” when she dated other people. But it wasn’t until 2021 when the two skiers started bonding over the most challenging time in their lives. While Shiffrin grieved the passing of her father, Kilde was also dealing with a serious injury that left him in crutches.

She said, “Last year he got in touch with me again with a really nice and supportive message to my family once I started racing again after my dad’s accident, and this time we just never stopped chatting.”