Bode Miller’s Olympic Career Ends At Sochi After Withdrawl From Giant Slalom
Bode Miller — the US’ most decorated Olympic Alpine skier — will most likely not participate in the last race at the Sochi Winter Games and his career.
The American placed 26th after the first leg of the Giant Slalom, which he completed in 1 minute, 23.64 seconds, more than two-and-a-half seconds slower than the leader, fellow American Ted Ligety.
Bode Miller took to Twitter to express his disappointment at having to pull out, being so close to completing a miracle:
I'm bummed I'm out for the slalom, I wanted a miracle. Thank you all for the amazing support, it's been incredible.
— Bode Miller (@MillerBode) February 19, 2014
Miller, 36, was not one of the favorites to win the Giant Slalom at Sochi, but he was hoping to place better than he did having once won a silver medal for the event in 2002.
After the first run Bode Miller said he would not compete on Saturday in effect ending his illustrious Olympic career for the United States and even though he has not officially retired, not many believe he will return for the 2018 Olympics, when he will be 40-years-old.
Bode Miller is a six-time Olympic Alpine medal winner, including a bronze in the super-G last weekend, which made him the oldest skier to win a Winter Games medal and the most successful American Alpine skier of all time.
On Wednesday he said that his knee has bothered him ever since then and it’s been swollen during the Sochi Olympics. Bode Miller missed all of last season while recovering from microfracture surgery to his left knee.
A week before the Sochi Olympics started, Miller twisted his right knee in a violent crash in a Giant Slalaom race in St. Moritz, Switzerland.
The men’s slalom is scheduled for Saturday, the last Alpine event of the Sochi Games.
“It’s tough to have my last race here look like that,” Bode Miller said. “But I feel really good about where I am. I feel like I did my best. I came out with a medal, so I’m happy.”
DETAILED UPDATE — Bode Miller out of slalom after tweaking left knee #WPXIOlympics pic.twitter.com/YWNg1VkYT6
— WPXI (@WPXI) February 19, 2014
His Olympic career may be over after today, but this will not prevent the American great from finishing his World Cup 2014 season, “barring something going really weird with my knee.”
Bode Miller is not only an Olympic icon, but one of the most decorated World Cup Alpine skiers of all time with 33 victories to his name and only one of five men to win World Cup events in all five disciplines.
[Image via Mitch Gunn / Shutterstock.com]
