Bode Miller unsure if he’ll race World Champs or retire

By Published On: January 2nd, 2015Comments Off on Bode Miller unsure if he’ll race World Champs or retire

BEAVER CREEK, Colo. — At a press conference in Beaver Creek Friday, Bode Miller said his recovery from back surgery is going as planned, but Wengen, Kitzbuehel and the World Championships are still question marks. Miller also said if his attempt at a mid-season comeback falls short this year, retirement could be in his immediate future.

“I guess we’re still in a holding pattern in terms of expectations,” said Miller. “But the progression on snow is going forward as aggressively as it can, and the progression in dryland is basically all systems go.”

On Nov. 17, Miller underwent microdiscectomy surgery in San Diego to alleviate back pain that had been dogging him for some time. The prognosis was an “unusual type” of disc herniation, said Miller, which called for an unusual type of surgery. In a typical microdiscectomy, the surgeon will come in through the back, separating some of the connective tissue, which leads to a more demanding recovery. In Miller’s case, the doctor came in through the hip, which prevents separation of the tissue but also required Miller to be awake throughout the proceedings so he could tell the doctor if it hurt too much.

“It was a risky move, but he is the only guy in the country who does that with any confidence,” said Miller. “Everything went great. I’ve been really sore and pushing hard since then, trying to walk that really fine line between not trying to do too much and continuing to maintain a high level of fitness.”

Now seven weeks later, Miller said he’s not ready for World Cup racing. But after nine weeks — right around Wengen and Kitzbuhel — he could be there barring any further setbacks. He freeskied five days in Deer Valley a couple weeks ago and then trained GS on the women’s downhill course in Beaver Creek on Thursday.

“By the end of Deer Valley, I was freeskiing pretty hard, and it felt OK, but then yesterday up on the girls’ hill skiing GS, it was too much,” said Miller. “You have to be really connected to how you’re feeling to know when it’s too much without going past the point where you’ve set yourself back.”

Asked if he would participate in the World Championships without having a World Cup start this season, Miller replied, “Whether I would or not, I don’t think is really the question; it’s whether my team would put me in. I have a good track record on this hill, so they would have a good argument, and they’ve seen me come back from time away from snow. But at the same time, we have a really strong team right now with two separate guys (Steven Nyman and Travis Ganong) winning World Cups this year already, so they would also have an argument to put in the strongest team.”

Playing coach, the five-time World Championship gold medalist offered the possibility that he could be named to the team, see how training runs go and then make a determination as to who will start. Miller said he will definitely not be racing slalom and all but ruled out GS, as well.

“I will have had a lot of time on the skis by then, whether I’ve raced or not,” Miller said. “My touch on the snow and my feel won’t be the problem. It’s going to be a matter of fitness, for one, and then my back, the actual structural integrity of my body. Those are both question marks.”

Could this be the end? Miller didn’t rule that out either. Fireworks to close out his career are not necessary, he said, and if this season doesn’t work out the way he had hoped, it might be a good time to think about hanging it up.

“I don’t really feel like I need a send-off,” Miller said. “If this is it, I’ll talk to my wife and we’ll make a plan. If my body feels good then maybe I’ll keep skiing. We’re juggling a lot of different things right now. I won’t rule it out that I would come back and ski next year, but more likely, if I can’t get it back in time for this (season) … it seems like a lot. I’m 37 years old. I’ll be 38 next year. I’ve had a remarkable run. I’ve put my body through so much. … The likelihood of getting through next season skiing hard and winning World Cups, which is the only reason I would come back, it’s a risk and probably not the best choice.”

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About the Author: Geoff Mintz

Geoff Mintz is a former alpine ski racer who cut his teeth at Ragged Mountain and Waterville Valley, N.H. After graduating from Holderness and UVM, he relocated to Colorado, where he worked on the hill prior to pursuing a career in journalism. Mintz served as associate editor for Ski Racing Media from 2011 to 2015. He later reconnected with his local roots to manage all marketing and communications for Ski & Snowboard Club Vail before resuming work at SRM as editor-in-chief.