FIS World Cup Injury Roundup: Kilde, Goggia, and Grenier Sidelined Ahead of Sölden Opener

The 2026-27 FIS Alpine Ski World Cup season is set to launch on the Rettenbach glacier in Sölden, Austria, on October 24, but the starting gate will be missing some of the sport's heaviest hitters.[2]

A brutal string of preseason training crashes and illnesses has decimated the elite field. Instead of a triumphant reunion of returning champions, the opening giant slalom will serve as a stark reminder of the physical toll alpine racing extracts before the snow even settles.

The most devastating blow landed in South America. Norwegian speed king Aleksander Aamodt Kilde ruptured his Achilles tendon during a downhill training run in Chile on October 14. The 34-year-old was on the brink of a highly anticipated comeback after spending nearly two years recovering from a catastrophic crash in Wengen, Switzerland, in January 2024.[1]

Kilde had battled through severe leg lacerations, torn shoulder ligaments, and a life-threatening bout of sepsis just to get back on snow. The International Ski and Snowboard Federation confirmed the new injury, stating that Kilde is returning to Innsbruck, Austria, where his medical team will "conduct further medical examinations and evaluate treatment options."[1]

The Norwegian Ski Federation has not established a recovery timeline, leaving Kilde's entire season in jeopardy. For a racer who won the overall World Cup title in 2020 and claimed two medals at the Beijing 2022 Olympics, the timing of this Achilles rupture resets a grueling rehabilitation clock back to zero.[1]

The Italian void

Italy's powerhouse women's squad is facing its own crisis, arriving in Sölden without its two biggest stars. Sofia Goggia, the 2018 Olympic downhill champion, was forced to abandon a national team training camp in Ushuaia, Argentina, on September 12. Medical examinations revealed she had contracted two simultaneous viral infections, leaving her in a severely weakened physical state.[2]

Goggia reported experiencing severe fatigue, tremors, debilitating joint pain, and compromised coordination on her skis. While the acute phase of the illness has passed, she confirmed she is not ready for the physical demands of a World Cup giant slalom. Her recovery is currently measured in weeks rather than days.[2]

Her immediate focus is restoring her baseline fitness before attempting another training block in the United States. Goggia's absence is a significant blow for the Italian federation, as the Bergamo-born speed specialist was expected to anchor their early-season points haul following her super-G Crystal Globe campaign.[2]

Federica Brignone joins Goggia on the sidelines, though her absence stems from a longer surgical rehabilitation. The double Olympic champion underwent a procedure at the end of August 2026 to remove a plate and several screws from her left knee. The hardware was a remnant of a complex fracture she sustained in April 2025.[2]

Brignone plans to test her condition on skis in November, but she has already ruled herself out of the North American tour scheduled for late November and early December. "For now, I am concentrating on getting healthy again," Brignone stated, prioritizing long-term stability over an early-season rush.[2]

North American and veteran setbacks

The North American contingent took a significant hit just days before the Sölden opener. Canadian giant slalom specialist Valérie Grenier sustained a knee injury while training in Austria on October 19. The 29-year-old from St. Isidore, Ontario, posted an update showing herself on crutches, confirming she requires surgery.[3][5]

Grenier, a three-time Olympian with six career World Cup medals, was coming off a stellar campaign that included a victory at the World Cup Finals in Lillehammer. She is returning to Canada for the operation, which will determine the full extent of the structural damage and dictate whether she can salvage any part of the 2026-27 season.[3][5]

Even the sport's most anticipated comeback has been put on ice. Two-time Olympic gold medalist Marcel Hirscher, who returned to the snow in September 2025 after suffering an ACL tear in December 2024, announced he will not start in Sölden. The 37-year-old, now racing under the Dutch flag, cited a lack of sufficient training volume.[4]

Hirscher had been granted wild cards by the FIS to bypass lower-tier point accumulation, but he must finish in the top 30 to retain them. Recognizing the massive gap between his current form and the leaders' pace during summer time trials, Hirscher opted to delay his return rather than risk a poor result.[4]

With Kilde, Goggia, Brignone, Grenier, and Hirscher all out of the picture for the opening weekend, the points landscape in Sölden is blown wide open. The absences elevate the stakes for the remaining contenders, who now have a clear path to bank early-season points while the sport's titans focus on simply getting back on their feet.[2][4]