Bode Miller's history- and headline-making run at the 2014 Winter Olympics has come to a premature end. The 36-year-old skier pulled out of his final event at Sochi, the slalom, after re-injuring his knee during the giant slalom on Wednesday, Feb. 19.
"@MillerBode says he will not race this week's #slalom but will race the rest of the World Cup season," a tweet from the U.S. Ski Team's official account read. Added Miller himself, in a post on his own Twitter: "I'm bummed I'm out for the slalom, I wanted a miracle. Thank you all for the amazing support, it's been incredible."
Miller sat out all of last season while recovering from knee surgery, but he had hoped to be able to go all the way at Sochi. Things looked promising at first, especially after he tied for a bronze medal in the super-G on Sunday, becoming the most decorated U.S. Alpine skier and the oldest Alpine Olympic medalist in history. But he struggled in Wednesday's event, finishing 26th in the first round and 20th overall.
"It's tough to have my last race here look like that," he told USA Today of the giant slalom. "But I feel really good about where I am. I feel like I did my best. I came out with a medal, so I'm happy."
In any case, Miller's run at Sochi was an eventful one. After medaling on Sunday, he made headlines for breaking down in a post-race interview with NBC reporter Christin Cooper, who asked repeated questions about his late brother, Chelone. Some criticized Cooper for crossing a line, but Miller said he had no hard feelings about the chat.
"I have known Christin a long time, and she's a sweetheart of a person," he said on the Today show. "I know she didn't mean to push. I don't think she really anticipated what my reaction was going to be, and I think by the time she realized it, it was too late. I don't blame her at all."
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