Norwegian Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, the reigning Alpine skiing World Cup overall champion, is out for the rest of the season after suffering a knee ligament injury in training that requires surgery, according to Norway’s ski federation.
Last winter, Kilde won the overall title, the biggest annual prize in ski racing, by 54 points over Frenchman Alexis Pinturault, accumulating season-long results across disciplines.
Kilde, whose best previous overall finish was seventh, succeeded Austrian Marcel Hirscher, who retired before last season after a record eight straight overall crowns.
The 28-year-old is in second place in this season’s overall standings, trailing Pinturault, and leads the downhill standings.