Aleksander Aamodt Kilde ‘ready to deliver’ as he aims for first Alpine Ski World Championships medal

Aleksander Aamodt Kilde says he is “ready to deliver” as he aims to win his first medal at the Alpine Ski World Championships.

Kilde, 30, has had an impressive season so far, leading the downhill standings and sitting second in the super-G and overall tables behind Marco Odermatt.

He will now be targeting success in the super-G on Thursday, February 9 and the downhill on Sunday, February 12.

“I’m ready to deliver and ready to go,” he told Eurosport.

“The world champs is something I really want, but I’m not alone with that. I have that in mind too. People are going to charge and go for it, and I will do the same, but it’s always different at the world champs.

“There’s definitely pressure but it’s pressure I’ve dealt with the whole season, starting in Lake Louise where I came from a really good season winning the globe in super-G and downhill, and every race in the World Cup counts equally if you ask me.”

The highlights of Kilde’s season so have been doing the double – winning super-G and downhill – at Beaver Creek and Wengen.

Reflecting on his back-to-back wins in Wengen, he says: “I was nervous going into that race because I knew the super-G was the longest ever, you have to trust your plan. I felt really well and had super equipment and felt like things were running.

“Taking double in Wengen is unbelievable. After that downhill I said to myself this is not normal, this is really outstanding…I don’t know what to say about it. The way I felt during the races it was quite normal but the result wasn’t.”

He didn’t seem in total control as he accelerated down the hill approaching the finish, with his turning ski bobbling on the traverse. He looked destined to crash straight into the nets at high speed but somehow managed to turn away and stay on his feet.

“That day was strange,” recalls Kilde.

“My hand was really sore from the day before and going into the toughest race of the year with something that hurts is not really fun. As soon as I started warming up it was pretty normal and I didn’t feel any pain and I was ready to go, but I think I got too excited I felt.

“I came into the last part where I felt I had to ski fast and take the lost time from the top and ski like nobody else, and it was just way fast going in there.

“Luckily I had some strength and power to pull it off but I won’t do that again, I am too old for that stuff!”

Kilde was fastest in the first men’s downhill training run on Wednesday.

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