Bode Miller pulls out of famed downhill race

With the world championships less than two weeks away, Bode Miller has decided to skip the famed Hahnenkamm downhill on Saturday and take a little more time to recover from back surgery.

That means Miller will arrive at Vail/Beaver Creek in early February without having competed in any World Cup events this season.

“I’m not quite 8-1/2 weeks out of surgery,” he said after taking a training run at Kitzbuehel, Austria. “It’s not enough time to run this with confidence.”

Following the repair of a herniated disk, Miller has tested himself on courses several times in recent weeks, skiing well but remaining cautious.

“Another week and I should be good,” he said.

The start of competition at Kitzbuehel on Friday saw U.S. skiers Andrew Weibrecht and Steven Nyman finish fifth and 13th, respectively, in the super-G.

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