Guess Who’s Back? Aksel Lund Svindal return to the Norwegian Team — this time as coach. | Image: Norwegian Alpine Team
Two-time Olympic champion Aksel Lund Svindal is returning to the Norwegian alpine team, joining the team as coach. The Norwegian Ski Federation announced the appointment Tuesday, October 20. Svindal, who retired from competitive skiing in 2019, will work with the national team in a tailored role rather than travel with the squad full-time.
Svindal was one of the leading all-around alpine racers of his generation. He won a total of 36 World Cup races and claimed two Overall Season Crystal Globes in 2006-07 and 2008-09. He also has two Olympic victories to his name, claiming gold in super-G at the 2010 Vancouver Games and in downhill at the 2018 PyeongChang Games. He also holds five World Championship titles and is considered the best Norwegian skier of all times. He retired in 2019 after winning silver in the downhill at the World Championships in Åre, Sweden. He famously dated Team USA’s Julia Mancuso for three years, while both were competing on the World Cup circuit.
The Norwegian team also shared the announcement on social media, writing “Guess Who’s Back” to the tune of Eminem’s song by the same name. Svindal joins the Norwegian team’s coaching staff just days before the 2026-27 FIS Alpine Ski World Cup season opens in Sölden, Austria. The appointment follows Svindal’s first formal coaching role, working with American ski legend Lindsey Vonn ahead of the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. Vonn announced in August 2025 that she had brought Svindal onto her team, describing his involvement as “a huge boost” ahead of her Olympic comeback. After Vonn’s crash at the Olympic downhill event on February 8, Svindal was released from his coaching position.
Aksel Lund Svindal with Lindsey Vonn in St. Moritz where Vonn claimed her first victory since her comeback. | Image: SnowBrains
Svindal is already with the team at its pre-season camp in Sölden. The Norwegian Alpine Team announced its line up for the World Cup season opener in a separate social media post. Norway has selected 12 athletes for the Sölden giant slalom, with three women and nine men competing this coming weekend. The women’s team comprises Thea Stjernesund, Mina Fürst Holtmann, and Madeleine Sylvester-Davik. The men’s team is made up of Henrik Kristoffersen, Atle Lie McGrath, Timon Haugan, Eirik Hystad Solberg, Oscar Andreas Sandvik, Alexander Steen Olsen, Hans Grahl-Madsen, Rasmus Bakkevig, and Theodor Brækken. Grahl-Madsen and Brækken will make their Sölden debuts, while Steen Olsen returns after missing last season with jumper’s knee problems.
The season opener will be an early test for Norway’s technical team and the coaching staff Svindal has now joined. With established podium contenders alongside younger racers, Norway will be looking to start the season strongly as preparations begin for the 2027 World Championships in Crans-Montana, Switzerland.
Svindal will contribute during selected periods throughout the season, sharing his experience with athletes and coaches and helping develop the team’s performance culture. Norwegian sporting director Claus Ryste told VG that Svindal is part of the coaching staff, although his role differs from a conventional full-time coaching position. “He is very analytical and can contribute to both athletes and coaches,” Ryste said. Svindal said the details are still being worked out. “Exactly how it will be is still in the making,” he said.
Aksel Lund Svindal with Thea Louise Stjernesund at St. Moritz in December 2025. | Image: SnowBrains
Svindal has advised the Norwegian team informally since retiring, and discussions about a more formal role have been underway for several months, VG reported. The initial focus will be on the technical team, including Norway’s slalom and giant slalom skiers. Atle Lie McGrath, Henrik Kristoffersen, Timon Haugan and Alexander Steen Olsen are among the athletes expected to contend for medals at the 2027 World Championships in Crans-Montana, Switzerland.
Svindal will also work with the speed team, which competes in downhill and super-G, as its season gets underway. “It’s fun to contribute,” Svindal said, according to Norwegian news agency NTB.
His return to the Norwegian team brings one of the country’s most accomplished former racers into a coaching group preparing for another demanding World Cup season. Sadly the ski team’s biggest speed star, Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, will miss the upcoming season after tearing his achilles tendon.
The 2026-27 World season opens in Sölden this weekend, with giant slalom racing scheduled for Saturday, October 24, and Sunday, October 25.
Aksel Lund Svindal skiing at Beaver Creek, CO. | Image: Red Bull