Norwegian skier Aleksander Aamodt Kilde expresses gratitude for the support received after being airlifted to the hospital following a severe crash.

Norwegian skier Aleksander Aamodt Kilde shared a photograph from his hospital bed following a harrowing high-speed crash that led to his evacuation from the slopes during a World Cup downhill race in Switzerland. The 31-year-old, who clinched the overall World Cup championship in 2020, was nearing the end of the demanding Lauberhorn course in Wengen on Saturday when he lost his balance, crashing into the safety net.

Medical personnel swiftly attended to Kilde before he was airlifted to the hospital by helicopter, as reported by Reuters. On the subsequent day, Kilde posted an image of himself in the hospital, showcasing facial cuts, alongside his partner, skiing icon Mikaela Shiffrin. On the X platform, formerly known as Twitter, Kilde expressed gratitude, stating, “I’m here (and being taken care of by the one and only Mikaela Shiffrin). Patched up. Thank you so much for all of the messages. I’m grateful for all the words of love and support. This sport can be brutal, but I still love it.”

Although Switzerland’s Marco Odermatt emerged victorious in the downhill event on Saturday, his joy was tempered by concern for Kilde. Odermatt commented after the win, “Still a bittersweet day for sure when you see a friend, like Alek [Kilde] crashing that hard. I hope he is a little bit well, even if it didn’t look so good.” This incident marked the second consecutive day that an athlete had to be airlifted from the course.

On the preceding Friday, French skier Alexis Pinturault experienced a crash during a super-G race, resulting in an anterior cruciate ligament injury that concluded his season, according to the French Ski Federation. Pinturault, alongside a picture with his newborn baby, shared on X, “The best pain killer. Thanks for all your kind words.