Aksel Lund Svindal joins Norway’s Alpine skiing coaching staff part-time

Aksel Lund Svindal has joined Norway’s Alpine skiing national-team coaching staff in a part-time role and is already with the team at a pre-camp ahead of World Cup racing in Sölden, Austria, the Associated Press reported on October 20. The appointment brings the two-time Olympic champion back to the Norwegian team as it prepares for the new season after winning two Alpine medals at this year’s Winter Olympics.

Svindal said current athletes and coaches approached him during the summer with a proposal for how he could help. The Norwegian team said he would contribute during selected periods of the season; it did not give a detailed schedule for his work.

What Svindal will bring to Norway’s team

Claus Ryste, sports director for Norway’s Alpine skiing team, said Svindal’s experience on both sides of elite sport could offer useful perspectives as the athletes and coaches work to improve. AP reported that Svindal was also part of Lindsey Vonn’s coaching team ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics, giving him recent experience in a coaching role alongside his years as a competitor.

Svindal’s Olympic record and Norway’s recent results

Svindal won super-G gold at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics and downhill gold at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games. He retired from competition in 2019 after persistent knee injuries, AP reported. The International Ski and Snowboard Federation lists four Olympic podium finishes, five World Championship victories and 36 World Cup victories in his career record.

Norway won a silver and a bronze in Alpine skiing at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics, AP reported. It won four medals at the 2022 Games, also without a gold. Svindal’s place on the staff gives the team a former Olympic winner to draw on as it begins another World Cup season, though his role is limited to selected periods rather than every week of training and racing.