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Miller's knee casts doubt over slalom

Roar Guru
19th February, 2014
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Bode Miller has admitted to having a puffy knee after the giant slalom in which he finished 20th, adding he was unsure about taking part in Saturday’s slalom, his likely Olympic swansong.

Miller missed the whole of last season after undergoing knee surgery in the spring of 2012, but has rebounded in impressive form.

The American, at the age of 36 years and 127 days, became the oldest alpine skiing medallist when he claimed bronze in the men’s super-G on the testing Rosa Khutor course last weekend.

It was his sixth Olympic medal after super-combined gold in 2010, where he also won a super-G silver and downhill bronze, and two silvers in the giant slalom and combined at the 2002 Salt Lake Games.

But there was no chance of a podium showing in Wednesday’s giant slalom, won in convincing manner by teammate Ted Ligety.

“It’s asking a bit much of my left knee still on those kind of bumps,” Miller admitted after powering down the hard, and in parts rutted, piste for a second time.

“Confidence wise, I just don’t feel comfortable dropping it in there. It’s cost me on the two runs.”

Miller, competing in his fifth Winter Games after making his debut in 1998 in Nagano, said he would not rush into a decision on his participation in the slalom.

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“I’m going to see how it feels after this,” said the four-time world gold medallist and two-time World Cup overall champion.

“The knee popped up a little bit in between runs, which isn’t a great thing, and it’s been going up and down this whole couple of weeks here.”

Miller was full of praise for Ligety, whose victory handed him a second Olympic gold after he won the combined at the 2006 Turin Games.

“He carries so much speed and just doesn’t really make mistakes, that’s what separates him,” he said of Ligety, whose combined total of 2min 45.29sec, was 0.48sec ahead of France’s Steve Missillier.

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