She attempted to kiss a reindeer. Comparing her reaction to that of her boyfriend's
9:45 AM EST, November 15, 2023
Alpine ski champion Mikaela Shiffrin recently won the slalom in Levi, Finland. Beyond collecting World Cup points, another reward was a live reindeer. Shiffrin posted an amusing picture of herself with the reindeer on a social media platform, comparing her interaction with the animal to that with her boyfriend in a candid manner.
Shiffrin clinched victory in Levi's slalom last Sunday, marking the 89th World Cup victory of her career. At 28, she is the standing record holder for this achievement.
It is a long-held tradition for the victors of the Levi races to receive a live reindeer. To reassure animal rights advocates - recipients are not free to treat their award as they wish. The winning reindeer are housed on a farm in Lapland which, curiously enough, is officially owned by Santa Claus. The winners are allowed to name the reindeer and visit them at their residence.
Over the course of her career, Shiffrin has acquired a sizable herd, with Sunday’s victory marking her seventh in Levi, and an equal quantity of reindeer to her name.
Obviously delighted by her triumph, Shiffrin posted a photo on her social media profile, where she can be seen attempting to kiss the reindeer. The bewildered animal's eyes are shown widening in surprise and escape. In the caption, Shiffrin humorously compared the reindeer's reaction to that of her boyfriend, Aleksander Kilde, and revealed the name she chose for the reindeer.
"Thank God @Aleksandar Kilde doesn't react like this when I try to kiss him. Appreciated all the reindeer name suggestions that everyone sent (check out Insta to see all the ideas)! Eventually, we settled on one that not too many would expect: Grogu" - she revealed.
Aleksander Kilde, a Norwegian skier, clinched the Crystal Globe in the overall rankings in the 2019/2020 season. The 31-year-old athlete has also won two World Championship medals and two Olympic medals in his career. Shiffrin and the Norwegian competitor have been dating officially since 2021.
