Norwegian skiing legend Aksel Lund Svindal has officially joined the coaching staff of the national team. Svindal, who claimed Olympic gold in alpine skiing for Norway in 2018, has taken on a part-time role at the team’s request.
The 43-year-old Svindal, who retired from competitive skiing in 2019 due to ongoing knee issues, expressed his excitement about the opportunity presented by current team members this summer. Following surgery in 2022 for testicular cancer, he also assisted Lindsey Vonn’s coaching team leading up to the recent Winter Olympics.
Svindal, a standout performer at the Vancouver Olympics in 2010 with gold in super-G, silver in downhill, and bronze in giant slalom, as well as a downhill gold medalist in Pyeongchang in 2018, boasts an impressive record of five world championship gold medals and two overall World Cup titles.
Following Norway’s modest Alpine skiing medal haul of silver and bronze at the Milan-Cortina Olympics this year, Claus Ryste, sports director for Norway’s Alpine skiing team, highlighted the team’s ongoing commitment to improvement. Svindal’s dual perspective as both an athlete and coach is seen as a valuable asset in the team’s pursuit of progress.
Svindal is currently part of the team’s pre-camp preparations ahead of the upcoming World Cup racing season in Sölden. Despite not being present every week, he is confident in his ability to contribute effectively across various areas within the program.
Notably absent from the training camp is Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, who suffered an Achilles tendon rupture during downhill training in Chile.