Notes from Bode Miller's press conference following the historic Sestriere slalom victory

Notes from Bode Miller’s press conference following the historic Sestriere slalom victoryJust hours after winning the Sestriere slalom, setting a new time-record for sweeping wins in four disciplines, Bode Miller attended a press conference moderated by Patrick Lang, whose father, the journalist Serge Lang, was one of the founders of the alpine World Cup tour. Patrick Lang provided these questions and answers, taken from his notes of the gathering.

Congratulation Bode sixth victory this season and now you joined Marc Girardelli as the only champion on the World Cup tour to have won in all four specialties during the same season. It must be a great feeling for you?
B.M. ‘Well, I’m mostly happy to have again won a slalom. This hill has not been so kind to me since I’m racing here. I never did better than 7th last spring. In the first run, I wanted to attack more but my legs were still sore from my efforts in Val d’Isère, so I preferred to take it easy. I had a smooth and very enjoyable first run. The conditions were really great with my number 4. I was quite happy to see that I clearly skied the fastest time, it was a great feeling.’

‘In the second run, I took more risks and it was very exciting too. The course was rougher and more challenging but I had fun charging it. I didn’t know at the start who was leading because there was no TV but that’s better – I’m anyway more focused when I attack. When you back off, it’s easier to do mistakes. For me it’s better to ski fast.’

‘Regarding Girardelli’s record, I’m of course proud to be compared to such a great champions, but the most important for me is to have reached the goal I set myself. I don’t chase records and I don’t think about them. I only speak about them when the journalists ask me about!’

‘It’s something which could eventually be interesting to tell your kids when you’re older, but now it’s not relevant for me. Records are less important for me than what if feel when I come down the mountain.’

‘For the moment, I’m just happy to have achieved something which was important to me since I started to race all specialties. I knew I could do it and I’m happy to prove that I was right.’

What about winning on the slope of the 2006 Olympic slalom!
B.M. ‘It doesn’t really matter, I’m sure the conditions and the weather will be quite different at the Olympics. It’s a classical and a demanding course with its steep first section and its long flat final part, but everything will be different in February 2006. I will also be different.’

‘An Olympic slalom is another event, the racers have another approach and use different tactics than on the World Cup tour. A lot of skier will take greater risks to clinch a medal, including me.’

‘It’s a 50-50 or even a 30-70 chance that I will make it to the finish line because I will be very aggressive too. There are so many variables in a slalom.’

Have you changed anything in your summer preparation!
B.M. ‘Nothing specific for the slalom I trained more in the middle of the summer and not so hard in the fall, so I feel somehow fresher now. I found out in past years that I was more tired at the beginning of the season, so I decided to change it. But this has nothing to do with my slalom form. I have always been confident about it, even earlier this season when I skied out in the two Nor-Am’s in November. I was kind of a drag, but I had good feelings about my slalom and the trainers too. There are 100’000 variables which can affect your pace in slalom. Everything can happen. You can be the best or the fastest slalom skier and ski out 15 times in a row.’

‘It’s mostly mental and how you execute your race. In slalom, you make 5-6 decisions at each gate, which means each second. Just one wrong decision can be enough to put you out of the course.’

‘I have always been fast in slalom but I make better choices now. I don’t think about being consistent when I race slalom, I don’t like it and don’t do it. I just want to be fast and enjoy it!’

Do you feel tired?
B.M. ‘Oh! yes, my muscles are sore and my back hurts, and I’m tired to answer always the same questions over and over, but I’m also excited about my season and my success, the way I ski. I have a great time when I’m alone on the course. And the more it goes well, the more fun I’m having. The schedule is tough and I try to make the best out of it. This excitement helps me to get over the tough moments!’

What’s next?
B.M. ‘We have a lot of races now coming up five in six days in three different locations starting Friday. It will be challenging but that’s what makes it even more exciting.’