Bode Miller

Bode Miller
— Alpine skier —

Miller in February 2011
Disciplines Downhill, super-G, giant slalom, slalom, combined
Club Franconia Ski Club /
Carrabassett Valley Academy
Born (1977-10-12) October 12, 1977
Easton, New Hampshire,
United States
Height 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
World Cup debut November 20, 1997
(age 20)
Olympics
Teams 5 – (1998–2014)
Medals 6 (1 gold)
World Championships
Teams 7 – (1999–2011)
Medals 5 (4 gold)
World Cup
Seasons 16th – (1998–2012, 2014)
Wins 33
Podiums 79
Overall titles 2 – (2005, 2008)
Discipline titles 6 – (2 SG, 1 GS, 3 K)
Medal record
International alpine ski competitions
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
Olympic Games 1 3 2
World Championships 4 1 0
Total 5 4 2
Men's alpine skiing
Representing the  United States
Olympic Games
2010 Vancouver Super combined
2002 Salt Lake Giant slalom
2002 Salt Lake Combined
2010 Vancouver Super-G
2010 Vancouver Downhill
2014 Sochi Super-G
World Championships
2003 St. Moritz Giant slalom
2003 St. Moritz Combined
2005 Bormio Downhill
2005 Bormio Super-G
2003 St. Moritz Super-G

Samuel Bode Miller (/ˈboʊdiː/; born October 12, 1977) is a World Cup alpine ski racer from the United States.

He is an Olympic and World Championship gold medalist, a two-time overall World Cup champion in 2005 and 2008, and the most successful male American alpine ski racer of all time. He is also considered one of the greatest World Cup racers of all time with 33 victories – one of five men to win World Cup events in all five disciplines.[1] In November 2004, Miller became the 5th and last man to win World Cup races in the slalom, giant slalom, super-G, downhill, and combined − and today he is the only skier with five or more victories in each discipline. In 2008, Miller and Lindsey Vonn won the overall World Cup titles for the first U.S. sweep in 25 years.

He has won six medals in the Winter Olympics, the most of any U.S. skier − two silvers (giant slalom and combined) in Salt Lake City 2002, a gold (super combined), a silver (super-G) and a bronze (downhill) in Vancouver 2010 and a bronze (super-G) in Sochi 2014. Miller is one of 5 skiers who have won Olympic medals in 4 different disciplines, matching the feats of Kjetil André Aamodt and female racers Anja Pärson, Janica Kostelić and Katja Seizinger.[2]

He has won six discipline World Cup titles. During his career Miller has also won four World Championships titles in four different disciplines (giant slalom, combined, super-G and downhill) and one silver medal in super-G.

Early years

Born in Easton, New Hampshire, to Jo Kenney and Woody Miller, Miller grew up in Franconia, a small community in the heart of New Hampshire's ski region that borders the Cannon Mountain Ski Area. His family, including older sister Kyla, younger sister Wren (short for Genesis Wren Bungo Windrushing Turtleheart), and younger brother Chelone (full name Nathaniel Kinsman Ever Chelone Skan),[3] lived on 450 acres (1.8 km2) of land in a forest, where his parents celebrated solstices, in a log cabin without electricity or indoor plumbing. He was raised a vegetarian.[4] He was homeschooled until the third grade, but after his parents divorced, he began attending public school. He applied for and got a scholarship to the Carrabassett Valley Academy, a ski racing academy in Maine. His mother's parents owned and started the Tamarack Tennis Camp, and he has played tennis and soccer since childhood.

Miller first gained widespread recognition after winning two silver medals at the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics in the giant slalom and combined events, though he had been known to skiing fans since he burst onto the international scene as an 18-year-old in 1996. Miller is known for his reckless style, often risking crashes to increase his chances of winning a given race; in his book, Bode: Go Fast, Be Good, Have Fun, Miller stated that his goal as a skier was not to win medals, but rather to ski "as fast as the natural universe will allow." In 2006, Miller also became famous for his reclusive (but outspoken) personality and his attention-getting statements.

Ski racing career

The Beginnings (1998–2001)

Miller not only first appeared in the World Cup during the 1998 season but also represented the United States in the 1998 Nagano Olympics, competing in both of the technical disciplines (giant slalom and slalom).[5] In 1999, he also competed in super-G (which is considered a speed discipline, not a technical one) and represented the U.S. in all three events at the World Ski Championships at Beaver Creek, with a best finish of 8th in slalom. He finally achieved a podium in a giant slalom at Val d'Isère on December 17, 2000 (placing third), but then only competed in super-G at the 2001 World Ski Championships; he crashed during the downhill portion of the combined and tore knee ligaments, which ended his competition.[6]

Double Silver (2002)

During this season, Miller began regularly competing in downhill, making him a five-event skier on the World Cup circuit, although he was still considered a technical specialist. Miller won his first World Cup race on December 29, 2001, taking the giant slalom at Val-d'Isère, and then followed it up the next day with another win in the slalom at Madonna di Campiglio. He would go on to win two more slalom races in January 2002, along with a pair of silver medals at the 2002 Winter Olympics in February, thus establishing himself as the top racer on the U.S. Ski Team.

Miller won his first ever Olympic medal on February 13, in the combined event. He was 15th after the downhill portion losing 2.44 seconds to Kjetil André Aamodt. He then put a remarkable second run of the slalom portion to finish second overall just 0.28 behind Aamodt. Later on Miller won a second silver medal, this time in the giant slalom where he lost only to Stephan Eberharter of Austria. Miller was on a verge of winning medals in all disciplines he had entered at the Olympics, while he was second after first run of the slalom race. At the starting gate before his final run Miller had already a huge advantage of 1.79 seconds over then leading Sébastien Amiez. Instead of having a careful run to secure at least another silver medal, Miller decided to push for a gold. The tactics resulted in a fall and missed gate, which caused him to finish far behind the medal positions.[7]

This was his final season on Fischer skis; he switched to Rossignol following the season's completion.

Becoming a World Cup Champion (2003-2005)

Miller challenged for the 2003 World Cup overall title but fell just short, finishing second to Stephan Eberharter of Austria. At the 2003 World Championships in St. Moritz, Switzerland, Miller won three medals: gold in giant slalom and combined, and silver in super-G. He also won two other giant slaloms during the season.

In the 2004 season, Miller won World Cup titles in two disciplines: giant slalom and combined, but placed fourth in the competition for the overall title. He won six World Cup races: three giant slaloms, two combineds and one slalom. After the season, Miller switched to Atomic skis.

Miller won his first overall World Cup title in 2005, defeating Austrians Benjamin Raich and Hermann Maier. He made history early in the season by winning at least one race in each of the four standard World Cup disciplines: slalom, giant slalom, super-G and downhill. In winning a slalom in Sestriere on December 13, he joined Marc Girardelli of Luxembourg, who had been the first man to accomplish this feat in 1989. Miller accomplished the feat in less time than any previous ski racer, male or female; the victory was his sixth of the season after only ten races. At the 2005 World Championships in Bormio, Italy, he won two gold medals, in super-G and downhill. In the downhill portion of the combined, he lost a ski 16 seconds into the race, but decided to continue down the course nevertheless at speeds up to 83 km/h on one ski, before sliding out near the bottom nearly two minutes later.[8]

Disappointment (2006)

Bode Miller 2006 Olympics
Miller in the giant slalom
at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Italy

Despite the hype surrounding Miller prior to the 2006 Winter Olympics, every one of Miller's five medal bids in the Turin Games fell short: he finished a disappointing 5th in the downhill, was disqualified – while in first place at the time – during the second leg of the combined event, failed to finish the super-G, tied for 6th in the giant slalom, and had another DNF after missing a gate in the first run of the slalom. Nevertheless, Miller won two races during the season (a giant slalom and a super-G) and placed third for the season's overall World Cup title. At the 2006 U.S. National Championships following the World Cup season, Miller won the downhill and giant slalom titles. He switched to Head skis following the season's completion. Miller had prolotherapy treatments, an alternative treatment that has shown no effect in clinical trials, to the ligaments in his knee or knees in February 2006, aking with other ski team members, Bryon Friedman and Eric Schlopy.

Independent World Cup Champion (2007-2009)

Miller had four first-place finishes (two downhills and two super-Gs) in the early going of the 2007 World Cup. For the season, Miller finished 4th overall and won the super-G title. On May 12, 2007, Miller announced that he was leaving the U.S. Ski Team. He followed the precedent set by slalom skier Kristina Koznick, who left the U.S. Ski Team following the 2000 season and raced the next six years for the U.S. as an independent.

In 2008 Miller clinched his second overall championship at the World Cup finals in Bormio, Italy. He missed a chance to also win the season's downhill title when bad weather prevented the season's last race from being run. Miller got his first win of the season at the Stelvio downhill in Bormio in December. On January 13, he won for the second year in a row the legendary Wengen downhill, matching Phil Mahre as the most successful American skier with 27 World Cup victories. On January 20, he broke this record by winning the Hahnenkamm combined event at Kitzbühel. On January 27, he won the first super combined in his career in Chamonix and took the lead in the World Cup standings. On February 3, he won the super combined in Val d'Isère, France, and took the combined title. On March 1, Bode got his sixth win of the season at Kvitfjell, Norway, cementing his lead in the overall standings and closing to 5 points on Didier Cuche in downhill. At the end of this impressive season he was crowned overall champion.

Miller responded to his World Cup success in 2008 with the worst season of his professional career, leading some to speculate that he might be "burned out."[9] Miller failed to win a race for the first time in eight years and had only two official podium finishes, both seconds in downhill, to show for his season. Miller suffered a torn ligament in his left ankle in a December fall at Beaver Creek, which may have been a factor in his performance.[9] He took a four-week break from competition in February and March, the first World Cup races that he had failed to start in three years, and missed the end of the World Cup season, although he still had a chance to win the season's downhill title.[10] He said that "the fire goes away after a while",[9] and he hinted at retirement.[10]

Reunited for Olympic Triple (2010)

The on-hill podium ceremony.
From left: Ivica Kostelić (silver), Bode Miller (gold) and Silvan Zurbriggen (bronze)

After returning to the U.S. Ski Team, Miller missed much of the early part of the 2010 season due to an ankle sprain during a volleyball game with other members of the team.[11] However, he returned by winning a World Cup super-combined event in Wengen on January 15, 2010, for his first victory in nearly two years.[12]

He made the U.S. team for the 2010 Winter Olympics in late 2009 and was selected to compete in all five events, despite his lack of training.[13] In his first race, after several delays due to warm weather and poor snow conditions, Miller won a bronze medal in the downhill, the first American to win an Olympic medal in downhill since Tommy Moe won gold in 1994. Miller's time was 1:54.40, nine hundredths of a second behind gold medalist Didier Défago, and two hundredths behind Aksel Lund Svindal, who took the silver; the time difference between the gold and bronze medals was the smallest in Olympic downhill history.[14] He then won a silver in the super-G, giving him four Olympic medals, more than any other American alpine racer.[15] On February 21, 2010, he won his first Olympic gold medal in the super combined. After the downhill portion of the race, Miller was in seventh place, but finished third in the slalom portion, giving him a total time of 2:44.92 to finish first overall.[16] Miller then failed to finish either the giant slalom or slalom, and he took the rest of the season off due to continuing problems with his ankle injury.[17]

Last victory and a break (2011-2013)

Miller followed his Olympic success with the mediocre season, but still managed to finish Top 3 in three occasions. He was third at the city event in Munich, second to Didier Cuche at Kitzbuehel's downhill and third in super-G at Hinterstoder. He started World Championships in Garmisch-Partenkirchen with typical Bode-like fashion at super-G race. He was leading the field despite losing a pole midway through the course, however he lost his balance coming out of a bend at the bottom, slowed down and stood up as he crossed the finish line on 12th position.[18]

Miller earned the 33rd World Cup win of his career with a downhill victory in Beaver Creek. He topped young Swiss sensation Beat Feuz with four hundredths of a second. He also managed to finish 2nd in super-G at Val Gardena, 3rd in a super-combined event in Wengen and 2nd in a downhill race in Chamonix, where he was one hundredth of a second behind Klaus Kroell.[19]

After undergoing a knee surgery in spring 2012, Miller decided not to rush his comeback to the slopes and announced in January 2013 that he would skip the entire season to ensure a completely healthy run for his fifth Olympics in 2014.[20]

Comeback for Bronze (2014)

At the beginning of his comeback season, Miller unexpectedly finished second at Beaver Creek's giant slalom, only behind fellow American Ted Ligety, which was his first podium in the discipline since 2007. Miller's hopes of winning his first downhill race at Kitzbühel came up short after he made a significant mistake in the middle section of the course to eventually finish third. Next day he ended up second only behind Didier Défago in super-G at the same mountain.

Miller began the Winter Olympics by winning two out of three training sessions before the downhill. However, as sunny conditions of the training days changed into a cloudy race day, he was not able to keep up the momentum and finished in eighth position.[21] He was then unable to defend his title from the previous Olympic Games as he finished sixth in the super combined event. On February 16, 2014, Miller became the oldest Olympic medalist in alpine skiing history, by winning a bronze medal in the super-G race.[22] He shared a third place podium with Jan Hudec of Canada. By collecting his sixth Olympic medal, Miller moved to the second position on the all-time list of Olympic male medalists in alpine skiing, only behind Kjetil André Aamodt who won eight medals. In his last race of the Olympics, Miller finished 20th in the giant slalom, won by U.S. teammate Ligety.

After the Olympics, Miller decided to continue competing until the end of the season for the first time since 2008. At the World Cup finals in Lenzerheide, he gained his fourth podium of the season while finishing 3rd in the super-G race. Miller finished the season ranked eighth overall, his best in 6 years.

Injuries (2015-2016)

On November 17, 2014, Bode Miller announced that he would undergo outpatient back surgery to alleviate the pain and discomfort he had felt since the end of the previous season.[23] After attending official trainings to the downhills in both Wengen and Kitzbühel, but skipping the races, Miller was trying to make a comeback for the 2015 World Championships held at Vail / Beaver Creek, Colorado. On February 5, he crashed during the super-G race, after catching a gate.[24] During the crash his leg was cut by an edge of his ski and he suffered a torn hamstring tendon. The injury forced him to withdraw from the rest of the championships.[25]

After welcoming a birth of his son, the first child with Morgan Beck, Miller announced in October, that he would skip another season in purpose to spend more time with family and take care of his new-found passion in horse training.[26] Even though some people started to suspect that this might mean the end of his skiing career, Miller denied it in December stating that although he won't ever do the full circuit again, there's a likelihood that he'll come back to the racing occasionally.[27] He terminated his contract with Head, to sign a deal with US-based ski manufacturer Bomber Ski, which also made Miller a brand's part owner.[28]

World Cup results

Season titles

Season Discipline
2003Combined
2004Giant slalom
Combined
2005Overall
Super-G
2007Super-G
2008Overall
Combined

Season standings

Season Age Overall Slalom Giant
slalom 		Super-G Downhill Combined
1998 20 95 — 36 — — —
1999 21 38 23 23 — — —
2000 22 90 — 31 44 — —
2001 23 42 — 15 34 55 —
2002 24 4 2 7 49 — 4
2003 25 2 17 2 12 13 1
2004 26 4 5 1 25 23 1
2005 27 1 15 2 1 2 —
2006 28 3 32 9 10 5 2
2007 29 4 55 6 1 8 28
2008 30 1 29 13 8 2 1
2009 31 15 16 35 27 7 —
2010 32 20 43 — 18 17 5
2011 33 14 — 24 14 12 22
2012 34 15 53 31 16 5 16
2013 35 Injured: out for entire season
2014 36 8 49 22 5 8 16

Race victories

SeasonDateLocationDiscipline
2002 Dec 9, 2001 Val d'Isère, France Giant slalom
Dec 10, 2001 Madonna di Campiglio, Italy Slalom
Jan 6, 2002 Adelboden, Switzerland Slalom
Jan 22, 2002 Schladming, Austria Slalom
2003 Dec 22, 2002 Alta Badia, Italy Giant slalom
Jan 4, 2003 Kranjska Gora, Slovenia Giant slalom
2004 Oct 26, 2003 Sölden, Austria Giant slalom
Nov 22, 2003 Park City, USA Giant slalom
Jan 11, 2004 Chamonix, France Combined
Jan 25, 2004 Kitzbühel, Austria Combined
Feb 15, 2004 St. Anton, Austria Slalom
Feb 28, 2004 Kranjska Gora, Slovenia Giant slalom
2005 Oct 24, 2004 Sölden, Austria Giant slalom
Nov 27, 2004 Lake Louise, Canada Downhill
Nov 28, 2004 Super-G
Dec 3, 2004 Beaver Creek, USA Downhill
Dec 12, 2004 Val d'Isère, France Giant slalom
Dec 13, 2004 Sestriere, Italy Slalom
Mar 11, 2005 Lenzerheide, Switzerland Super-G
2006 Dec 3, 2005 Beaver Creek, USA Giant slalom
Mar 16, 2006 Åre, Sweden Super-G
2007 Dec 1, 2006 Beaver Creek, USA Downhill
Dec 15, 2006 Val Gardena, Italy Super-G
Dec 20, 2006 Hinterstoder, Austria Super-G
Jan 13, 2007 Wengen, Switzerland Downhill
2008 Dec 29, 2007 Bormio, Italy Downhill
Jan 13, 2008 Wengen, Switzerland Downhill
Jan 20, 2008 Kitzbühel, Austria Combined
Jan 27, 2008 Chamonix, France Super combined
Feb 3, 2008 Val d'Isère, France Super combined
Mar 1, 2008 Kvitfjell, Norway Downhill
2010 Jan 15, 2010 Wengen, Switzerland Super combined
2012 Dec 2, 2011 Beaver Creek, USA Downhill

Podiums per season

Season 1st 2nd 3rd Overall
1998 — — — —
1999 — — — —
2000 — — — —
2001 — — 1 1
2002 4 4 1 9
2003 2 3 1 6
2004 6 1 2 9
2005 7 4 3 14
2006 2 4 2 8
2007 4 1 1 6
2008 6 4 1 11
2009 — 3 — 3
2010 1 — — 1
2011 — 2 1 3
2012 1 2 1 4
2013 Injured: out for entire season
2014 — 2 2 4
Total 33 29 17 79

Podiums per discipline

Discipline 1st 2nd 3rd Overall
SL 5 5  3*  13*
GS 9 7 5 21
SG 5 5 2 12
DH 8 9 3 20
K/SC 6 3 4 13

 * includes the city event in Munich in 2011

Olympic results

Miller is one of the most successful alpine ski racers in Olympic history. He participated in five Winter Olympics, from 1998 through 2014. Miller had 19 starts in all five alpine disciplines and won six medals, including one gold in the super combined event in 2010. He is the only American ski racer in history to win medals at three different Olympics.

  Year                  Location                 Age    Slalom     Giant  
  slalom   		 Super-G    Downhill  Combined
1998 Nagano, Japan 20 DNF2 DNF2 — — —
2002 Salt Lake City, United States 24 24 2 — — 2
2006 Turin, Italy 28 DNF1 6 DNF 5 DSQ2
2010 Vancouver, Canada 32 DNF1 DNF1 2 3 1
2014 Sochi, Russia 36 — 20 3 8 6

World Championships results

  Year                  Location                 Age    Slalom     Giant  
  slalom   		 Super-G    Downhill  Combined
1999 Vail/Beaver Creek, United States 21 8 18 26 — —
2001 St.Anton, Austria 23 — — DNF — —
2003 St.Moritz, Switzerland 25 6 1 2 16 1
2005 Bormio, Italy 27 DNF2 DNF1 1 1 DNF1
2007 Åre, Sweden 29 DNF1 15 24 7 6
2009 Val-d'Isère, France 31 DNF1 DNF2 12 8 DNF2
2011 Garmisch, Germany 33 — 12 12 15 DNF2
2013 Schladming, Austria 35 Injured: missed event
2015 Vail/Beaver Creek, United States 37 — — DNF — —

Publicity, press and promotions

2002 Olympics

Miller's fame was partly spawned by his 2002 Winter Olympics slalom performance. He had already won two silver medals and was in line for a third when he missed a gate. Instead of stopping, he hiked back up the course to retry the gate and finish.[29] That performance established Miller's reputation as a competitor who cares more about the way he skis rather than winning medals. He admitted that after the race:

It's the Olympics, you know. If I had backed off and I came down in fifth place or sixth place, I think I would have been really disappointed. I was going for the win. If it was somewhere else, maybe I would have had the ability to hold back a little bit more. But I want to go out and race my best race in front of my home crowd.[7]

2006 Olympics controversy

The good feeling generated by Miller's 2002 Olympic performance was quickly dissipated in 2006. On the program 60 Minutes, in January 2006, Miller described the act of skiing "wasted" and compared it to lawlessly driving while intoxicated.[30] Throughout the Olympics, Miller said, "I'm just trying to ski in a way that's exciting for me." In an interview shortly after his last race, he said that it had "been an awesome two weeks," and that he "got to party and socialize at an Olympic level." After an unapologetic Miller interview with Tom Brokaw, Bob Costas concluded in a primetime editorial that Miller might finally get what he wanted: to be unceremoniously forgotten. Miller received negative coverage in the American and international media; editorials focused on his attitude of simply not caring about the Olympics or about his performance.

Many perceived his "party at an Olympic level" attitude as a violation of the "Olympic Spirit." When Nike's 2006 advertising campaign urged consumers to "Join Bode," Washington Post sportswriter Sally Jenkins asked, "Where? At the bar?" in reference to his well-publicized nights on the town in Sestriere.[31] He was even called the "biggest bust in Olympic history" for his performance.[29] Some have argued that Miller's management and PR team were partly to blame for his crash-and-burn publicity, pointing out that they facilitated the media blitz in the months leading up to the Olympics. The overexposure was bound to backfire knowing Miller's uneven commitment to performing. Miller himself said:

[The Olympic hype] is going to be a tough thing for me to manage. My actions are not always consistent. I'm super-mellow and laid back, but I'm always thinking and running 100,000 scenarios through my head. Sometimes I'm disciplined, but I like to be a total slacker, too. I party hard, but I train hard. People are going to try to figure me out and figure out my motivations, and it's going to be a circus.[32]

2010 Olympics success

Miller in the downhill at the 2010 Winter Olympics

Miller's success in the 2010 Olympic Games has been contrasted with his 2006 results. Miller's explanation for his belated success was simple: "Most likely it’s because I decided that’s what I wanted to do.”[15] At the 2010 games, his coaches stated that he "helps inspire [them]," a very different attitude from that of four years previously.[33] Miller himself said that the difference was that in 2006, his role as "poster boy" for the Olympics, after the corruption scandals associated with the 2002 Winter Olympics (bid scandal and figure skating scandal), was "the absolute thing I despise the most in the world" and "really draining on my inspiration, my level of passion." Ultimately, the publicity "had been happening for a year, and it was just too much."[33] By contrast, in 2010, he noted that he was not so proud of the medals themselves but of the "absolutely amazing" feeling when "you ... magically ski at your absolute best."[33] He ended the 2010 Olympic Games as the most successful American skier and athlete overall.

Miller was nominated for the Associated Press' Male Athlete of the Year award for 2010, but finished second to Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints football team thanks to votes cast for Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers basketball team who finished third.

2014 Olympics emotions

Miller's surprisingly dominating performance in trainings to the downhill race helped to create a hype among press and fans, with his teammate Marco Sullivan saying that it was "his race to lose" and rival Kjetil Jansrud describing Miller's performance in trainings as "epic". Just a day before the race, Miller himself claimed that "The idea is to be unbeatable" and "I want to win".[34] After finishing disappointing 8th in the race Miller pointed various reasons of his failure including warmer temperatures, poor visibility and a need of an eye surgery while U.S. Ski Team coach Sasha Rearick suggested that "Bode wanted it too much".[35] The change in Miller's attitude comparing to his previous Olympics showed after he won a bronze medal at the super-G race when he admitted that "some days, like I said, medals don’t matter. Today was one of the days where it does matter".[36] Moment of controversy appeared after the race as NBC's reporter Christin Cooper while interviewing Miller kept asking him about his dead brother until he broke down in tears. Miller however defended Cooper afterwards in several occasions saying that "I know she didn’t mean to push" and "I don’t blame her at all".[37]

Selected press reaction

According to John Canzano, Oregonian reporter, Miller is generally unpopular with American reporters who cover skiing.[38] One referred to him in 2009 as "a tedious bore given to statements that smack of hypocrisy."[39] Another said that Miller's behavior had alienated him from "pretty much everyone but those who mindlessly celebrate rebels simply for their rebellion, however misplaced it might be."[40]

In book, film, and game

Miller's autobiography, Bode: Go Fast, Be Good, Have Fun, co-written with his friend Jack McEnany, was published by Villard/Random House on October 18, 2005. Miller also became the first American alpine skier since Tommy Moe to endorse a video game when Bode Miller Alpine Racing was released for mobile phones on January 30, 2006, followed by Bode Miller Alpine Skiing for PlayStation 2 and Windows. In 2006 Miller was the subject of a biographical film produced by the Coruway Film Institute, Flying Downhill, which looks at the people and the place Miller comes from, and where exactly each fits within his philosophy.

Chosen ski sponsors

Miller has used a variety of skis during his World Cup career. He originally started off on K2 skis, then raced on Fischer through the 2002 season. He switched to Rossignol for two seasons (2003 and 2004), then Atomic for the following two (2005 and 2006). In June 2006, he moved over to Head, along with Hermann Maier of Austria and Didier Cuche of Switzerland.

Team America

In May 2007, Miller left the U.S. Ski Team[41][42] and raced independently for his personally-financed "Team America" for 2 seasons. This allowed him more control of his training, equipment, staff, and sponsors. With fewer distractions, increased autonomy and responsibility, Miller improved his focus and won his second overall title. However, the next season (2009) was the worst of his career after he crashed hard in the Beaver Creek Downhill injuring his heel, and Miller folded Team America at the end of 2009. Miller departed the 2009 season before its completion and rejoined the U.S. Ski Team in October 2009.

Other sports

Miller while playing for the Nashua Pride in 2007

In 2002, Miller won ABC Sports' Superstars competition, a televised event that pits athletes from different sports against one another in a series of athletic contests. In 2009, he competed in a Superstars team competition, which paired an athlete with a celebrity. Miller was paired with Paige Hemmis and they finished in second place.

On July 29, 2006, Miller signed a one-day contract to play baseball for the Nashua Pride (Canadian-American League). He went 0–2 with two strikeouts, however he did make an acrobatic catch in left field, which earned national attention by being featured by ESPN,[43] among others. The team said it would donate at least $5,000 from ticket sales for the game to Miller's Turtle Ridge Foundation, which will give the money to the Lance Armstrong Foundation.

On July 23, 2007, Miller again signed a one-day contract, to play the first three innings July 24, 2007, for the Nashua Pride, to raise money for charity.[44]

On April 2010, Miller opened the Boston Red Sox's baseball season by throwing out the ceremonial first pitch at Fenway Park.

On June 3, 2010, Miller competed for a spot in the 2010 US Open through the new national playoff system introduced by the USTA. The winner of the men's and women's playoff championships will receive a wild-card entry into the Open qualifying tournament.[45][46] He lost 6–4, 6–2 to Erik Nelson-Kortland in an opening match at sectional playoffs in Hawaii.[47]

Personal life

Miller has a daughter, Neesyn (born 2008), with Chanel Johnson;[48][49] and a son, Samuel (whom Miller calls "Nathaniel") (born February 2013), with Sara McKenna.[50] In late 2012, Miller began a protracted custody battle with McKenna, after she moved to New York City during her pregnancy in order to attend Columbia University, prompting Miller to file for a "Petition to Establish Parental Relationship" in California.[51][52]

In September 2012, Miller announced his engagement to professional beach volleyball player and model Morgan Beck.[53] They married on October 7, 2012, in San Diego, California.[54] The couple has a son, Nash Skan Miller (born May 18, 2015),[55] and a daughter (born November 5, 2016).[56]

References

  1. ↑ Futterman, Matthew (February 22, 2010). "Bode Miller Wins Gold in Super Combined". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved March 14, 2010.
  2. ↑ "Miller hat Olympiamedaillen in vier Disziplinen". ORF (Austria). February 20, 2012. Retrieved 2012-02-20.
  3. ↑ "Cline, Andrew. "Bode Miller's Life Lesson" American Spectator, February 23, 2010. Accessed on March 1, 2010.". Archived from the original on February 26, 2010.
  4. ↑ "Olympic vegetarians: the elite athletes who shun meat", The Guardian, July 30, 2012.
  5. ↑ "Biography MILLER Bode". FIS. Retrieved April 9, 2013.
  6. ↑ "Bode Miller biography". US Ski Team. 2010. Archived from the original on February 16, 2010. Retrieved 2010-02-18.
  7. 1 2 "Miller: No medal and no regrets". St.Petersburg Times. February 22, 2002.
  8. ↑ "Bode miller one ski 2005". Retrieved 2012-08-16.
  9. 1 2 3 Tony Chamberlain, Vonn and Miller taking divergent trails, Boston Globe, February 26, 2009.
  10. 1 2 "Miller hints at retirement as season ends", CNN.com, March 4, 2009.
  11. ↑ "Bode Miller sprains ankle playing volleyball, expected to ski next week after skipping GS". Associated Press. December 13, 2009. Retrieved 2010-02-15.
  12. ↑ Knoblauch, Austin (January 15, 2010). "Bode Miller earns first victory in nearly two years". Olympics Blog. LA Times. Retrieved February 15, 2010.
  13. ↑ "Bode Miller To Race All 5 Events At Olympics". WBZ-TV. Associated Press. February 2, 2010. Retrieved 2010-02-15.
  14. ↑ Meyer, John (February 15, 2010). "Bode Miller races to bronze medal in men's downhill". Denver Post. Retrieved February 15, 2010.
  15. 1 2 Dave Scanlon (February 20, 2010). "Miller Returns From Hiatus to Set U.S. Olympic Medal Record". Bloomberg News. Retrieved 2010-02-21.
  16. ↑ "Bode Miller finally wins Olympic gold". February 21, 2010.
  17. ↑ "Bode Miller decides to skip World Cup finals". Associated Press. March 9, 2010. Retrieved 2010-03-11.
  18. ↑ The Associated Press (February 9, 2011). "Despite losing his pole, Bode Miller finishes 12th in Super G". Mass Live. The Associated Press. Retrieved April 4, 2013.
  19. ↑ "Biography of Bode Miller". FIS. Retrieved April 4, 2013.
  20. ↑ Graham, Pat (January 16, 2013). "Bode Miller to skip rest of World Cup season, prepare for 2014 Olympics". The Washington Times. Associated Press. Retrieved April 4, 2013.
  21. ↑ Pennington, Bill (February 10, 2014). "Misstep Costs Bode Miller a Medal as Austrian Wins Downhill". The New York Times. Retrieved February 9, 2014.
  22. ↑ "Emotional Bode Miller makes history with super-G medal". USA Today. February 17, 2014.
  23. ↑ "Bode Miller undergoes back surgery, will miss Beaver Creek". SkiRacing.com. Retrieved November 20, 2014.
  24. ↑ "Ligety 9th and Miller Crashes at Worlds Super G". USSkiTeam. February 5, 2015. Retrieved February 6, 2015.
  25. ↑ "Bode Miller out of World Championships with leg injury". SkiRacing.com. February 5, 2015. Retrieved February 6, 2015.
  26. ↑ "Bode Miller going on World Cup hiatus". ESPN. October 15, 2015. Retrieved January 10, 2016.
  27. ↑ "Bode Miller: Skiing is no sport for old men - but I'll race on". CNN.com. December 4, 2015. Retrieved January 10, 2016.
  28. ↑ "Bode Miller signs deals with Bomber Ski, NBC". SkiRacing.com. November 4, 2015. Retrieved January 10, 2016.
  29. 1 2 Gwen Knapp (February 26, 2006). "BODE MILLER: He's the biggest bust in Olympic history". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2010-02-15.
  30. ↑ "Skiing drunk 'not easy,' Bode says – Winter Olympics". MSNBC. January 10, 2006. Archived from the original on January 19, 2008. Retrieved 2011-12-03.
  31. ↑ Jenkins, Sally. "Only Medal For Bode Is Fool's Gold", Washington Post, February 25, 2006. Retrieved February 9, 2008.
  32. ↑ Layden, Tim (February 6, 2006). "Bode Miller's Flying Circus". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved April 4, 2013.
  33. 1 2 3 Svrluga, Barry (February 21, 2010). "American Bode Miller wins gold in men's super combined event at Vancouver Olympics". Washington Post. Retrieved 2010-02-21.
  34. ↑ "Bode Miller poised to make 'epic' final run in men's downhill". LA Times. February 8, 2014.
  35. ↑ "Bode Miller admits mistakes, regrets not getting Lasik eye surgery". USA Today. February 11, 2014.
  36. ↑ "Emotional Bode Miller medals in race that mattered most". NBC. February 16, 2014.
  37. ↑ "NBC Pushes Too Far in Bringing Bode Miller to Tears". The New York Times. August 29, 2004. Retrieved August 12, 2012.
  38. ↑ John Canzano (February 15, 2010). "When it comes to Bode Miller, hiss away America". The Oregonian. Retrieved 2010-04-28.
  39. ↑ Philip Hersh, "More mumbo-jumbo, no medals for Bode Miller". Chicago Tribune, February 15, 2009.
  40. ↑ John Meyer, "Bode has become irrelevant – does anybody care?". Denver Post, February 13, 2009.
  41. ↑ Bode Miller quits U. S. ski team
  42. ↑ Bode Miller quits US ski team Archived September 4, 2007, at the Wayback Machine.
  43. ↑ "Miller goes from black diamond to baseball diamond – Minor Leagues – ESPN". Sports.espn.go.com. July 11, 2006. Retrieved 2011-12-03.
  44. ↑ Larry Brown %BloggerTitle% (July 23, 2007). "Bode Miller's Playing Minor League Baseball". Sports.aol.com. Retrieved 2011-12-03.
  45. ↑ Now Serving, Bode Miller, The New York Times. Published January 26, 2010. Retrieved January 27, 2010.
  46. ↑ Ford, Bonnie D. Skier Bode Miller to vie for U.S. Open qualifying spot, ESPN. Published January 26, 2010. Retrieved January 27, 2010.
  47. ↑
  48. ↑ Zeigler, Mark (February 13, 2010). "Bode Miller wild for a little girl With daughter, he's already won gold". U-T San Diego. The San Diego Union-Tribune, LLC. Retrieved February 8, 2014.
  49. ↑ Bode Miller Announces He Has Daughter SI.com, February 21, 2009
  50. ↑ Sara McKenna, Liz Welch (2014-03-14). "Sara McKenna: My Custody Battle with Bode Miller". Cosmopolitan.
  51. ↑ Drehs, Wayne (February 4, 2014). "Reintroducing Bode Miller". ESPN. Retrieved February 17, 2014.
  52. ↑ Bazelon, Emily (February 17, 2014). "A Woman's Right to Move". Slate. Retrieved February 17, 2014.
  53. ↑ "Morgan Beck". California Golden Bears athletics. Retrieved October 1, 2012.
  54. ↑ Graham, Pat (November 15, 2012). "Bode Miller won't hurry back from knee injury". Aspen Times. Gunilla Asher. Retrieved 2012-11-18. they were wed on Oct. 7
  55. ↑ "Bode Miller Welcomes Son Nash Skan". People Magazine. 2015-05-18.
  56. ↑ Jen Juneau (2016-11-07). "It's a Girl! Bode Miller Welcomes Fourth Child". People Magazine. Retrieved 2016-11-08.

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