ALPINE SKI. CRANS MONTANA, Switzerland (Feb. 27) – After further evaluation of an injured left knee, Olympic champion Bode Miller (Franconia, NH) will miss the remainder of the 2012 Audi FIS Alpine World Cup season. Miller, who had surgery on the knee following the Feb. 18-19 races in Bansko (Bulgaria), had returned to Europe with the intention to compete in Crans Montana and finish the season. The 34-year-old will undergo further arthroscopy on the knee and immediately begin recovery.

Bode Miller (Franconia, NH) will miss the remainder of the 2012 World Cup season.

Miller originally aggravated his left knee in Sochi, Russia, where he missed the downhill podium by a mere .02. He attempted to ski through the injury the following weekend in Bansko, Bulgaria then opted to return to the United States for a knee evaluation. Miller then returned to Europe with the intention to compete through the remainder of the World Cup season. Further discomfort forced a re-evaluation. Miller intends to continue training and racing following recovery from further knee arthroscopy.

“The plan was to come back and race in Crans Montana,” Miller said. “But I couldn't get the range of motion that I needed out of my knee to be competitive. We thought if I rested a few more days, things would come around, but it didn't happen. I love ski racing and I love being active so I hope for a solid recovery and to get back to training as soon as possible. I'm still having fun and as long as skiing is enjoyable, I'm going to continue to do it. It was a good season for me. Winning again at Beaver Creek was pretty special and it was cool to get a chance to check out the Olympic hill in Sochi. The mountain is world class – it's as nice as any of the places we ever go and I think it's going to be amazing to host for the Olympics.”

Sasha Rearick, Head Coach of the US Ski team commented the recent events.

“Bode had a solid season and was skiing technically and tactically better than he has been in a number of years,” he said. “His win in Beaver Creek was fantastic. It was amazing to see him back on the top of the podium in downhill and I know that was incredibly powerful for him. Even though he's been extremely motivated to continue out the season and show what he can do by having fun with ski racing, his body just wasn’t able to hold that. He's doing the right thing by getting his knee fixed and ready to go for the future. Bode makes an incredible contribution to the ski racing community at large. He has fans all over the world and people come to ski races just to see Bode. The fans had high hopes to see him race at Crans Montana and Bode wanted to compete for the fans. He inspires people from all countries and all ages to get fired up for our sport and he wants to continue to do what he loves.”

CREDIT- US SKI TEAM
FISalpine.com
Monday 27 February 2012