Svindal finishes as the alpine icon – but everything could be taken at year-end 2007

Aksel Lund Svindals alpine career is an unparalleled success story. His big breakthrough came in the world CHAMPIONSHIPS in Åre in 2007, when he took gold in both the giant slalom and the downhill. He finished the season as the winner of the overall world cup title.

But the life which skiers hold on to the end of that same year.

Svindal began the season 2007/2008 brilliant and won both The giant slalom and the downhill race in Lake Louise.

On 27 november it was time for the first training for the downhill race in Beaver Creek.

" I felt like Superman when I got there. I went through the course and felt ”easy, easy, easy”, ”no problem,” says Svindal in an interview with Eurosport.

ended up not as Svindal intended.

In a jump, he lost control, got the rear weight and crashed head over heels. Svindal lost consciousness and was taken to the hospital in Vail.

" I remember I woke up to a bit, and it was full of blood. It is not normal to bleed when you run over on the skis, " says Svindal.

the Medical staff look after Svindal after the crash in Beaver Creek. Photo: Nathan Bilow/AP

Svindal broke several bones in the face and got a 13 centimeter long wound in the buttocks. In addition, will the doctors up his stomach to check that all the internal organs work as they should. Afterwards had Svindal problems with digestion and get the bowels to function normally.

the Wound on the buttock was so deep that doctors were forced to sew it in several layers. Svindal missed the whole of the remaining part of the season 2007/2008.

the Next victory in the world cup came on 5 december – in the same störtloppsbacke as he crashed in a little over a year earlier.

great career followed.

Svindal has taken five world CHAMPIONSHIP gold medals, four OLYMPIC medals (two gold) and won the overall world cup two times. In total there have been 80 podiums in the world cup. 36 times he has been at the top of the podium.

The last few years he has had problems with several injuries. Among other things, problems with a knee. It was knäskadan as he stood over the downhill in Kitzbühel at the end of January. But in the process he is ready to compete.

the Super-G race on Wednesday, his second to last start in his career, was not a success. Svindal finished in 16th place. Now waiting for his final race: the downhill race.

– There are mixed feelings like this before. I'm not worried, but I know it will feel a little uncomfortable to stand on the start. I think I will be pretty nervous, " says Svindal in an interview with the Norwegian news agency NTB.

the superstar who decided to end his career in Åre is Lindsey Vonn as she also had a skadefylld season. In January, Vonn a failed comeback in Italy, but decided in the end to go to Åre and to end his career with a world CHAMPIONSHIP. She decided after talking with Aksel Lund Svindal of their common situation.

" I wondered if I would only add after the Cortina, and Aksel had been over Kitzbühel. But as I talked with him and said... why not just give ourselves one last chance and then have a big party? He said it was a superidé, we talked further and then came, we both concluded that it was a good plan, " says Vonn, who, on his press conference after Tuesday's super-G race also told me about his relationship with the Norwegian toppåkarna Svindal and Kjetil Jansrud.

" I've probably been riding more cross country ski along them than with some other gentlemen, probably more than with the us herråkarna. They have always pushat me and they have always respected me, as much as I have respected them. It is very motivating. It has been a privilege to spend so much time with them, I have learned a lot from them.

– I and Aksel has been on the prispallar together when we have made the titles and such things, and he has always respected me. Actually the entire Norwegian team respected me. They don't look at the women's skiing as a andraliga.

It is the privileged from the moment of birth in Norway and thus get all the opportunities served. But I am also privileged because I already from the beginning of my career, had so much ”stake out”, or in any case do not ”stake out”, says Aksel Lund Svindal. Photo: Joel Marklund/Bildbyrån

himself grateful when he looks back on his skiing career. And even if the damage in Beaver Creek in 2007 was serious destroyed, not his career.

– You are privileged from the moment of birth in Norway and thus get all the opportunities served. But I am also privileged because I already from the beginning of my career, had so much ”stake out”, or in any case do not ”stake out,” says Svindal SAID.

I Had had the injuries I've had for the last five years during my first five years in his career would have been very difficult to get up in the world.

What he will do after the time as the first world champion in the alpine circus has 36-year-old not decided.

" But there have been periods when I felt that it would have been nice to be able to go skiing without every single turn, or the hundredth to be so insanely important.

– The times that in the future I feel that ”now I have only the desire to ski”, to then be able to do it without the clock goes, I think that will be great.

Read more: Stenmark comes to Åre for Vonns final race