Bode Miller won an Olympic gold medal on Sunday for the super-combined downhill event, shattering lingering notions from his medal-less performance at the 2006 Turin Games.
Finishing seventh in the downhill portion of the combined, at 0.76 seconds behind, Miller came back with an astounding performance in the slalom portion of the super-combined to win gold for the overall event.
Croatia’s Ivica Kostelic took home the silver, while Switzerland’s Silvan Zurbriggen won the bronze. Norwegian Aksel Lund Svindal, who had a lead after the downhill, pushed too hard during his run and didn’t complete the course, sealing the win for Miller.
Since his disappointing performance at Turin, questions of retirement had surfaced for Miller. He was winless during the 2008 World Cup season, leading most to believe his career had hit the end of its road.
Miller has certainly recovered from his subpar experience in Turin, winning a silver medal in the super-G and a bronze in the downhill earlier in the week.
“I skied with 100 percent heart ... I didn’t hold anything back ... It’s just awesome. There’s nothing else to say,” Miller told the Associated Press.
“The way I executed, the way I skied, is something I'll be proud of the rest of my life,” he added.
Amidst the media hype for the 2006 Olympics, Miller, who had won five medals in 2002, spoke in a rather loose fashion. A strong and competitive character had been seen as part of the nature of professional and Olympic sports.
However, Miller seemed to take it too far, becoming more focused on his late night escapades than his performance on the slopes.
After finishing empty-handed, Miller was criticized in the media as a hyped-up underachiever. A campaign by Nike titled “Join Bode” was ridiculed by sports columnist Sally Jenkins in the Washington Post, who stated, “Join him where? At the bar?”
Miller performance last week and Sunday’s gold will allow for a softer light to shine on a legacy.
Finishing seventh in the downhill portion of the combined, at 0.76 seconds behind, Miller came back with an astounding performance in the slalom portion of the super-combined to win gold for the overall event.
Croatia’s Ivica Kostelic took home the silver, while Switzerland’s Silvan Zurbriggen won the bronze. Norwegian Aksel Lund Svindal, who had a lead after the downhill, pushed too hard during his run and didn’t complete the course, sealing the win for Miller.
Since his disappointing performance at Turin, questions of retirement had surfaced for Miller. He was winless during the 2008 World Cup season, leading most to believe his career had hit the end of its road.
Miller has certainly recovered from his subpar experience in Turin, winning a silver medal in the super-G and a bronze in the downhill earlier in the week.
“I skied with 100 percent heart ... I didn’t hold anything back ... It’s just awesome. There’s nothing else to say,” Miller told the Associated Press.
“The way I executed, the way I skied, is something I'll be proud of the rest of my life,” he added.
Amidst the media hype for the 2006 Olympics, Miller, who had won five medals in 2002, spoke in a rather loose fashion. A strong and competitive character had been seen as part of the nature of professional and Olympic sports.
However, Miller seemed to take it too far, becoming more focused on his late night escapades than his performance on the slopes.
After finishing empty-handed, Miller was criticized in the media as a hyped-up underachiever. A campaign by Nike titled “Join Bode” was ridiculed by sports columnist Sally Jenkins in the Washington Post, who stated, “Join him where? At the bar?”
Miller performance last week and Sunday’s gold will allow for a softer light to shine on a legacy.
