By Ryan Gregg
Currently training in Haus Im Ennstal, Austria, the remarriage between Bode Miller and the U.S. Ski Team seems happy during its second honeymoon.
Doug Haney, the U.S. Ski alpine press officer, said Wednesday Miller and the team will head to an indoor facility in Wittenberg, Germany next, before competing at the World Cup races Nov. 15 in Levi, Finland. Miller did not ski in the Cup’s opening races this past weekend.
It’s been more than a month since Miller took to a podium in Los Angeles and announced he would be rejoining the team he divorced two years ago, and would be vying to compete at the World Cup and, possibly, the Vancouver Olympics in February.
Footing the bill himself on the World Cup tour, Miller won his second overall title in 2008. But after cutting a disappointing last season short, the 32-year-old said he would have to improve physically before Levi.
Word from Miller’s camp is relatively hush-hush with the 2-time Olympic silver medalist not granting any interviews, but in an Oct. 15 U.S. Ski press release, the team’s men’s technical head coach Rudi Soulard said Miller’s progress was too early into its infancy to measure. “It’s pretty early to say, and Bode was probably a little sore after skiing today, but he’s really happy to be skiing and it’s good to have him back on snow with the guys,” said Soulard. “I set a slalom course on the steeps and Bode jumped right in. He’s doing a lot of equipment testing, but he made some good turns.”
Said Miller: “I’m really happy to be back on snow and skiing with the guys again.”
Haney said he was not able to confirm if Miller would be ready to compete by the Nov. 15 races. “He hasn’t confirmed that he is racing there,” Haney said. “He’s not going to make a final decision until the last minute. It’s based on whether how he is feeling physically.”
In order to get in shape, and possibly avoid answering questions about his already much publicized Olympic experiences – for example, partying instead of medaling during the 2006 Torino games – Miller is not talking to the press. “Bode is not doing any interviews right now,” said Tom Kelly, vice president of communications for the USSA. “I’m not sure that he will. He is just focusing on competing. And we fully support him in that. I doubt he will be talking much anytime soon.”
During the September press conference Miller said of the 2006 games: “I think everyone can look back on any area in their and in hindsight make judgment calls. I don’t feel like this is an arena for me to apologize about stuff. I think that stuff will come out as it does. Looking forward, I think my actions are going to speak much more loudly than any apology can.”
