Miller Looks to Zig In

Bode Mil- ler begins his legitimate quest today, weather always permitting, to become the first American Alpine skier to win three medals in the same Olympics when he competes in the men’s combined event.

Miller, who will be one of the medal favorites next week in the giant slalom and slalom, has been somewhat overlooked in the combined, in which the times of a shortened downhill race and two slaloms are added for a result.

Because he is so much better than the field in slalom, however, there are some who think Miller has a chance of wresting the gold medal from favorites Kjetil Andre Aamodt and Lasse Kjus of Norway.

Miller’s chances are tied to staying within striking distance of combined stalwarts Aamodt and Kjus in the downhill.

Miller doesn’t do much speed racing yet managed to stay within 2.12 seconds of Aamodt in the first downhill training run.

This is significant because in his last two World Cup slalom wins, Miller beat Aamodt by 2.96 seconds in one race and 3.29 in the other.

“A month ago, I thought you can’t beat Aamodt and it would be tough to beat Kjus,” Steve Porino, a reporter for Ski Racing magazine who is doing Alpine commentary for NBC during the Olympics, said. “Now, I think Aamodt will have a harder time beating Bode.”

It is also bodes well for Miller that Kjus, the 1994 Olympic champion in combined, has not posted a result in his last three slaloms, skiing out in one race and failing to qualify for a second run in the two other races.

Kjus and Aamodt finished 1-2 in the Olympic combined at the 1994 Lillehammer Games and have dominated the event since.

When asked this week to describe the perfect combined skier, Miller responded without hesitation.

“Aamodt,” he said. “He’s one of two guys who’s finished every slalom this year, and he’s been in the top 30 in every slalom, which is necessary. And he’s got the speed and the confidence to push the line in downhill.

“To try to compete with someone like that you have to have something going for you. Something special. And right now, that is slalom for me. I can ski a line and an aggressive approach right now that no one can match.”

Miller has raced in only two World Cup downhills this year, at Val d’Isere, France, and Wengen, Switzerland, and the U.S. team seems more interested in letting Miller concentrate on technical events.

Yet, at age 23, Miller is talented enough to emerge as an all-event skier in all four Alpine disciplines: downhill, slalom, giant slalom and super-giant slalom.

With his athletic ability, Miller may soon compete for the World Cup overall title.

Despite having raced in only three speed events this year, he has racked up enough points to rank third in the World Cup overall standings behind Austria’s Stephan Eberharter and Aamodt.

Miller seems intrigued with becoming an all-event skier and reaping medals in the combined.

“It is different,” he says of the event. “You have to be ready to go from a downhill to a slalom ski in an hour. Also, for me, I don’t have to try to win the downhill. I do have to try to be close.”