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Bode Miller doesn’t want to count.
Kitzbühel, Austria, Jan 26th.
- Whatever you say to Bode Miller,
just do not mention the overall Alpine
skiing World Cup. Miller absolutely
loathes being asked how he rates his
chances of becoming the first American
since Phil Mahre in 1983 to win the
overall title.
"Whoever is competing in the
World Cup still has a chance to win
it," Miller said with a big grin
after winning the classic Hahnenkamm
combined race at Kitzbühel on
Sunday. "I never speculate and
think about the points -- it's more
the press who worries about it."
Journalists have started doing a lot
of sums recently. The 26-year-old
Miller, one of only a handful of racers
to score points in all of the sport's
four disciplines, was runner-up to
Austrian Stephan Eberharter last year
and became the top favourite this
year after winning the first two giant
slaloms.
But Miller, whose daredevil style
can just as easily bring him failure
as success, then plunged down the
standings after falling out in six
races.
He kept his nerve and belief in his
own ability and proved the doomsayers
wrong by coming back into the fray
with some solid performances this
month, capped with his victory at
Kitzbühel.
Miller has climbed back into fourth
position in the overall standings,
123 points behind leader Lasse Kjus
of Norway ahead of Tuesday's night
slalom in Schladming.
Bode is stubborn
"I never stop fighting. It doesn't
matter how many times I get beat,
I'm stubborn enough to just keep coming
back for more," Miller said.
"I feel I'm still in the running
for the overall title (but) I have
to score in all four disciplines.
There's a long time until my next
GS," the American said in reference
to his strongest discipline this season,
the giant slalom, which he won in
Soelden and Park City.
"I feel great. I feel I could
have won any of the races I have entered
so far, including some of the downhills.
I have to put all the pieces together,"
the giant slalom world champion said.
"But I'm ready to win my first
slalom in two years and Schladming
is a great place to do it. I've won
here before."
The resort's floodlit slalom is expected
to draw more than 40,000
spectators. Miller counts his closest
rivals for the overall World Cup as
defending champion Eberharter, Austrian
Benjamin Raich and Kjus.
"Hermann Maier too is skiing
amazing. Although he didn't have a
great
weekend...he could go on a winning
streak and win five in a row,"
Miller said. Maier, a former triple
overall champion who is contesting
his first full season since almost
losing a leg in a motorcycle accident
three years ago, is in third position,
just 31 points ahead of Miller.
JF
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