Miller aggravates knee injury, could factor into decision to continue skiing

Miller aggravates knee injury, could factor into decision to continue skiing{mosimage}ARE, Sweden – Whether American skier Bode Miller will race next season may hinge on his lingering left knee injury.

Since Miller hurt his knee on a jump in Beaver Creek early this season, the injury has plagued him and his thigh muscle has atrophied. He aggravated it again on Tuesday in training for the World Cup Finals downhill.

”My knee is pretty sore, it just depends on how that can shape up this summer,” said the 28-year-old Miller, the 2005 World Cup overall champion.

”That’s going to be my top priority in the spring, getting that fixed up. That was a major issue all year. It’s really not that fun when you’re trying to race and train and you’re constantly dealing with an injury like that.

”Meniscus damage is something that if you can deal with the pain of it, it either works itself out or finishes itself off.”

Miller said his knee stayed swollen for three weeks after he injured it landing the Golden Eagle jump in the downhill at Beaver Creek. It seemed to get better but he hurt it again in a giant slalom in Alta Badia, Italy, a few weeks later.

”I just hammered myself there and it just ballooned again and I haven’t been able to tighten my quad,” he said. ”It’s wicked atrophied now. It’s almost two centimeters smaller than my right one.”

Miller, who skipped recent races in Asia, exacerbated the injury when he landed heavily on the top jump during training on Tuesday ahead of the World Cup Finals downhill.

”I just landed a little bit … harder than I needed to and the knee doesn’t really feel that great,” he said. ”I would have liked to go to Korea and Japan, but in hindsight those races are always pretty tough and those conditions I think probably would have hurt it some more.”

Miller has wavered during the last couple of seasons over whether or not to continue on the World Cup circuit.

Last year he threatened to skip the Olympics and launch a rebel ski tour. He often talks of a deep lack of motivation, and complains about sponsor obligations and excessive media attention.

”Everyone seemed to think I was just kidding when I was saying I might not go to the Olympics,” he said. ”I was considering retiring last year for sure.

”I am more of the belief (now) that I can still find a lot of enjoyment and a lot of really specific focus and goals in my skiing. Last year with so many people trying to do that for me and with the expectations from my accomplishments the year before, it was hard to figure out what I was going to challenge myself with. I’m not saying I’ll be able to do it, I just feel like the possibility is there.”

On Tuesday, Miller said he wasn’t eager to break away from the U.S. team, and Bill Marolt, president and chief executive officer of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association, said he would have a private talk with the skier after the season regarding his declining performances.

”There isn’t a benefit there right now [breaking with the team],” Miller said. ”I think there’s strength in the coaching of our team. I think there’s strength in the training partners I have. I don’t think there’s any negatives for me except that I have to respect what they ask me to do.”

– The Associated Press