Aksel Lund Svindal Returns to Norway’s National Team in Coaching Role

Featured image: Aksel Lund Svindal coaching Lindsey Vonn. Photo: GEPA.

Aksel Lund Svindal is back with the Norwegian national team, bringing his experience as both a champion racer and a coach to the program he represented throughout his competitive career.

The Norwegian Ski Federation announced the agreement Tuesday, October 20. According to SportNews and The Associated Press, as published by CBC, Svindal will support athletes and the existing coaching staff during selected periods throughout the 2026–27 season.

Norway men’s head coach Michael Rottensteiner called “Sutti” provided more detail to Ski Racing Media about the arrangement, explaining that Svindal’s involvement will initially centre on several focused training and racing blocks.

“We decided to cut it down for now and focus on four to five blocks in the winter when he joins us as a coach,” Rottensteiner said.

Svindal is already working with the team at its preparation camp ahead of the World Cup opener in Sölden, Austria.

Starting With the Men’s Technical Team

Swiss broadcaster SRF initially reported that Svindal would primarily work with Norway’s technical racers. Rottensteiner confirmed that the collaboration has begun with the men’s World Cup slalom and giant slalom group, while leaving room for the position to evolve.

“We started with the World Cup men’s tech team, but we don’t want to put it in stone right away. We want to let the role develop in a natural way,” he said to Ski Racing Media.

For Rottensteiner, the value of bringing Svindal into the program extends beyond discipline-specific advice. His experience includes preparing for major championships, recovering from serious injuries and sustaining success over a long career.

“What I liked is that he can help us with athlete development, team character, performing on day X, putting the work in and dealing with injuries. That has nothing to do with speed or tech,” Rottensteiner said.

An Invitation From the Team

The initiative came from the athletes and coaches themselves, who approached Svindal over the summer with a proposal for how he could contribute.

In the federation’s announcement, as reported by CBC/AP, Svindal said the team’s proposal appealed to him and offered a way to contribute while balancing his other commitments. The agreement allows him to join the program at selected points in the season without travelling with the team every week.

“This is a program I believe in,” Svindal said.

Rottensteiner also sees the arrangement as an opportunity for the coaching staff to develop alongside the athletes.

“I see huge potential for Aksel to support the athletes, but also the staff, with his experience. I’m excited to learn from him as a coach,” he said.

From Vonn’s Comeback to Norway’s Coaching Staff

Svindal’s new role follows his work with Lindsey Vonn during her return to World Cup racing and preparations for the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics.

He now brings that recent coaching experience back to Norway, alongside a racing career that included two Olympic gold medals, five world championship titles and two overall World Cup crowns.

At the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, Svindal won super-G gold, downhill silver and giant slalom bronze. He added downhill gold at PyeongChang in 2018 and won the overall World Cup titles in 2007 and 2009.

He retired from competition in 2019 after years of managing knee injuries.

That background gives him a broad range of experiences to draw on when working with racers and coaches, whether the challenge is preparing for a championship, navigating a setback or maintaining the daily work required to compete at the highest level.

Building on the Existing Team

Norwegian alpine sports director Claus Ryste said in the federation’s announcement that Svindal’s experience as an athlete and coach would bring valuable perspectives to the program.

Rottensteiner’s approach is to build that contribution around the existing team, giving Svindal time to establish relationships and allowing his responsibilities to develop through the winter.

“A good crew, a good mix, a good team — this makes a difference,” Rottensteiner said.

For now, the work begins with Norway’s men’s technical racers in Sölden. Over the coming season, the team will explore how Svindal can best help both the athletes competing on the hill and the staff supporting them.

Sources: Interview with Norway men’s head coach Michael Rottensteiner; SportNews; The Associated Press, as published by CBC; and Swiss broadcaster SRF.