Miller retires from skiing to join Olympic TV crew

Bode Miller, a four-time world ski champion and six-time Olympic medalist, said Tuesday he will retire from competition and serve as a US television commentator for the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.

The 40-year-old American had said in March there was a 60-40 chance he would attempt to compete next February in South Korea but will instead work for NBC Sports.

"It had kind of been a long time coming," Miller told NBC Sports. "But just with my kids and the time and life, when I look at skiing now, I don't really feel like I have anything, the motivation, the desire, the everything to kind of go through it again."

Five-time Olympian Miller, the most-decorated Olympic skier in US history, last raced in February 2015 when he crashed in the super-G at the world championships and tore a right hamstring tendon.

Last year, Miller was involved in a lawsuit with his former ski manufacturer that helped keep him off the World Cup circuit.

Miller was not named in the US World Cup squad last May but American men's coach Sasha Rearick said the team was open to Miller's return if he attempted a comeback.

Miller, who made his Olympic debut in 1998 at Nagano, won his only Olympic gold medal in the super combined at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Games, where he also took silver in the super-G and downhill bronze.

Miller also took silver in 2002 at Salt Lake City in the giant slalom and combined and captured a bronze medal in the super-G at Sochi in 2014, becoming the oldest Olympic ski medalist.

"I had such a long career. I think things ran their course," Miller said. "I tend to process things pretty much real time. I think that I was aware as I went through it I made sure I got the most out of skiing and my experiences... I definitely don’t have regrets about the way that I did things."

- Easy decision -

Only retired short track speed skater Apolo Ohno has more Winter Olympic medals among Americans with eight.

At the world championships, Miller won titles in the giant slalom and combined in 2003 and in downhill and super-G in 2005.

Miller won 33 World Cup races, becoming one of only five men to win in all five disciplines and taking World Cup overall crowns in 2005 and 2008.

Miller told his new bosses it was an easy decision to step away from competition, one he made months ago and found no reason to rethink.

"Aside from the logistical challenges and my priorities and my family being first and not being able to put any of that aside to train and prepare the way I know I need to, I have so much experience. I know there's no shortcuts in what I would have to do to really take a pretty solid commitment on my part," Miller said. "That would mean sacrificing a lot of other things.

"Skiing is just so dangerous and risky and there's so much there that can go bad for you. I think just the preparation for it is so demanding. It's just not feasible to get that done."

Miller was known for his wild style off the course as well as his tenacity on the slopes.

"Of course, I made a lot of mistakes and stupid things, but above all I was able to do it the way that I wanted to and the way that I felt I should," Miller said. "That, I think, is my biggest accomplishment."

source: AFP