Bode Miller has three medals in Vancouver, just four years after embarrassing on- and off-field performances in the Turin Winter Olympics.
But it could have been four medals.
Miller skied off-course in the men's slalom Saturday after just eight seconds. He missed the fifth gate 50 meters down the field, mystifying the Franconia, N.H. native.
"I just hooked a tip and it's obviously disappointing when you're fired
up and you're skiing well and everything's there," Miller told the Associated Press. "You go
out of the gate with the intention of absolutely maximizing every turn."
The 32-year-old was one of 48 skiers in the 102-man event not to finish, as fog and snow impeded visibility.
"It's the Olympics and we knew it was going to be challenging, and we
knew it was going to be tough and everyone's skiing 100 percent,"
Miller said.
If Miller had been able to medal, he would have been the first man to get four Alpine medals at the Games. Instead, he'll be one of five men, although it was a record performance for a U.S. skier.
Miller's three medals give him five for his career, tied for second on the all-time men's list behind Kjetil Andre Aamodt of Norway, who has eight.
