TORINO: Alpine: Bode Miller tweaks ankle playing hoops, but will race slalom

TORINO: Alpine: Bode Miller tweaks ankle playing hoops, but will race slalom{mosimage}SESTRIERE, Italy – Bode Miller rolled his ankle playing basketball but will race the Olympic slalom, the U.S. team said Wednesday.

”He’s good to go,” U.S. men’s coach Phil McNichol said.

United States team spokesman Marc Habermann confirmed an SI.com report that Miller twisted his ankle playing basketball with teammates on Tuesday.

”There’s really no reason to mention it. It happened. There’s no reason he won’t race,” Habermann said. ”It hurt a bit and they checked it. There’s nothing wrong. He’s totally OK.

”I can confirm that he will start. He’s totally fine.”

Ski racers often play other sports – such as basketball, volleyball or hockey – to maintain fitness.

The slalom is Miller’s last chance to win a medal at the Torino Games.
He has failed to finish five of seven World Cup slaloms this season and was disqualified in the first slalom leg of the combined event. His last slalom victory was Dec. 13, 2004, in Sestriere.

Through four of five men’s alpine races, Miller finished fifth in the downhill, was leading the combined when he was disqualified, failed to finish the super G after slamming into a gate and tied for sixth in the giant slalom.

– The Associated Press