– I felt mega nerves, Aleksander Aamodt Kilde tells news about the Friday he recently experienced in Kitzbühel, Austria. The day before, he had injured himself in training and broken his hand. But Kilde had to be ready for one of the season’s highlights. Legendary Die Streif, over 50,000 spectators and the world’s most dangerous downhill. He wakes up on Friday, and realizes that the hour of seriousness has arrived. – I was unsure and in pain. It was very uncomfortable, says the 30-year-old. – I have become vulnerable The discomfort persists for Kilde. He has eaten breakfast, but can’t keep up the energy. – I may have eaten a little too much for breakfast. Then I felt enormous nerves and I couldn’t hold it in, he says. – It happens very rarely, it is only the second time it has happened in my career, admits Kilde. VULNERABLE: Source says he threw up before the dramatic Kitzbühel race last Friday. Photo: Lise Åserud / NTB The first time he threw up was when he was fighting for the overall elimination round together with Swiss Beat Feuz last season. That Kilde can get so nervous that he vomits is mentioned in the Viaplay documentary “Aamodt Kilde”, which will be released on 26 January. – When it first happens, it is very uncomfortable. It is not optimal to have to empty your stocks before you start, but you have also filled up your stocks over several days, says the sprinter to news. ALMOST: Aamodt Kilde managed to recover from this position and avoid a dramatic crash. Kilde tries to explain why it happens, and describes a very special moment when he woke up before the race in Kitzbühel. – When you wake up in the morning, there is such a long wait, and it is that wait that makes you nervous. Then you can tell that I have become vulnerable. You wake up there and feel: “Can’t you just get it done?”, he says. Very few people talk about it – What do you think when something like that happens to you? – No, it’s like everything else in life, then. What you spend a lot of time on and put a lot of time into, that gives you expectations. You want to make it happen so much that you do everything to make it happen. And then things happen where you get very nervous. – In between there is also a mixture of fear. Driving downhill is terrifying. So it’s a mix between being scared and having to perform and driving 100 percent down a mountain, where things are a bit scary from before then, then you feel like you’re excited to perform. And that mix can be a bit much at times, admits the 30-year-old. The source says that he has heard that other athletes have struggled with the same thing, but that very few people talk about it. – It is very common to feel nervous. But to actually throw up about it is to put it very much to the fore, so I can understand if people find it a bit uncomfortable to talk about. But I think it shouldn’t be, because it’s a very normal thing, he says. – It’s something I need The race that Friday in Kitzbühel was almost dramatic for Kilde. In the last corner, the 30-year-old struggled somewhat, and was a few centimeters from hurtling into the advertising signs at high speed. With one foot above the snow, Kilde managed to catch up, and drove into 16th place. Saturday, on the other hand, was a big upswing for the Norwegian, as he made history as the first Norwegian to win the iconic Saturday race in Kitzbühel. And although he found the episodes when he vomited unpleasant, it is not something he tries to avoid. – I don’t do that, because I feel it’s something I need. I feel that it is something that sharpens me, then I am 100 percent ready for the day. As long as it doesn’t affect performance, that is. So the performance is what is important, but I always feel that I have found control an hour before the start, says Kilde. On Wednesday, downhill in Kitzbühel has been replaced by giant slalom. Then the slopes are not as steep, and the fear is not as great for Kilde either. He has two fourth places in the giant slalom from 2019 and 2021, but does not put as much pressure on himself in Schladming as he did in Kitzbühel. – I’ve never raced in Schladming, so I’m really looking forward to it. I don’t think we should expect too much, but I will wait and drive, then we’ll see where it takes me, says Kilde. Watch the world cup in giant slalom from Schladming on news 1 on Wednesday from 17:30 (1st half) and 20:30 (2nd half).
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