Aleksander Aamodt Kilde on supporting Mikaela Shiffrin at Beijing 2022: "We'll remember it for the rest of our lives"

Alpine ski power couple Alexander Aamodt Kilde and Mikaela Shiffrin were hardly ever out of the headlines during Beijing 2022 in what was a real roller coaster ride for both.

Kilde overcame the disappointment of finishing fifth in downhill to claim a bronze medal in Super G and silver in the combined.

Meanwhile, Shiffrin failed to make the podium in her six events and told Olympics.com she still felt "like a joke" after having three DNFs in individual races.

But for Kilde and 'Kaela', being together at Beijing 2022 meant having support and someone to rely on at an Olympics neither imagined.

"I loved it," Kilde told Olympics.com, "It's been such a good time."

"Of course, the results for both of us could have been better. I've had a great Olympics, she has had less great of an Olympics, but I think she's enjoyed being here with me and I have definitely enjoyed being here with her."

Their story of unconditional love and support has been touching during the Games, and Kilde's message of support for Shiffrin below has resonated through the sporting world.

Find someone who loves you like Kilde loves 'Kaela

"So it's just being together in something big, the Olympics... We're going to remember this for the rest of our lives and we can look back at it," Kilde continues.

"It's a story that you remember, eating dinner together, just hanging out, sharing experiences and being in China together, competing and trying to be as fast as possible.

"That's cool, especially when you can share it."

After Kilde's message of support, Shiffrin revealed how much having her boyfriend's support meant to her during the Games.

"My hope for every human is that they find another human who finds a way to love, understand, and heal them in the way @AleksanderKilde has done and continues to for me ❤️"

We are "normal humans" - Kilde

Kilde says Olympians are just ordinary people who can do extraordinary things, and the speedster has called for more empathy and understanding.

"Pressure will always be there if you are one of the favourites," he says. "So you can also look at it as a positive thing, going into a Games where people expect you to win, then you've done something really, really great.

"But it's just those comments from people that are unfair and unnecessary and they will always be there.

"I just wanted to make a point out of us being normal humans that can also make mistakes in their job, without having people to always comment and be rude about it.

"If you put it in a normal situation, you have a desk job and then you have cameras on you and then you do a huge mistake on your desk job and then the whole world can comment on it, saying: 'Why are you doing that? What happened? Why are you not doing it better?'

"It's something we've chosen, for sure. But also, if you look at it in that perspective then it's crazy."

Aleksander Aamodt Kilde: "Balance"

Kilde adds, "It's part of the game in alpine skiing. It happens a lot. Some days you lose, some days you win.

"I get a little bit frustrated when I hear comments like: 'Have you lost it? What happened to you? What's going on? Are you not handling the pressure? Those kind of things... It's unfair.

"And also because we're doing a sport with really, really small margins and you come in to start and everybody expects you to win. And if you don't win... If you don't win the gold medal, it's not good enough.

"And then you get that huge pressure and then you fail and then you don't really get any support either. And that's unfair, it should be a better balance in that for sure."