U.S. Will Follow Miller’s Tracks

Slalom, giant slalom, super-giant slalom, downhill: Some believe winning one race in all four events in the same season is the skiing equivalent of leading major league baseball in home runs, stolen bases and RBIs.

This season, Bode Miller became just the second person to accomplish that feat. He has a nice-sized lead in the all-around standings of skiing’s European-dominated World Cup.

All are great accomplishments, yet for him to truly become a household name, he’ll need to come close to something like that again next year at the Olympics, when people outside the skiing world are paying attention.

“It’s one of those things,” said Jim Scherr, chief executive of the U.S. Olympic Committee. “It’s awesome he’s dominating the circuit this year. But you just kind of hope this is a predictor of an upswing through Turin, not a peak the year before the games.”

With his remarkable run to start this season -- he won one race in each discipline over the span of 16 days -- Miller has established himself as the top American to watch at the Turin Games, which begin Feb. 10 of next year. He’s looking to add to the two silver medals he won at the Salt Lake City Games.

In a sport full of clean-cut guys in turtlenecks with names like Ingemar and Jean-Claude, ol’ Bode is a nonconformist. Often slouching and unshaven, he might be defined as the world’s first great grunge skier. In December, he actually got disqualified from a race for wearing the wrong kind of ski suit.

While other skiers keep in shape with weight training, Miller focuses on balance. Born and raised in a cabin in New Hampshire, he spends the summer logrolling, pushing wheelbarrows and rock climbing.

U.S. men’s coach Phil McNichol, who has set a goal of winning five medals in Turin, believes Miller won’t be motivated by gold, silver and bronze as much as by the shape of the mountain, the thrill of the hill.

“Bode rises to the stimulation of the task ahead of him,” McNichol said. “He takes it to the most simple level -- if it’s a really cool hill or an event that is important to him, but not because of the media splash or because its mythical or prestigious.”

On the women’s side, the Americans have a new, unexpected leader. Her name is Lindsey Kildow, a 19-year-old native of Minnesota whose family moved to Vail in an attempt to further her career.

As this season approached, her career seemed to be moving along nicely. Then, unexpectedly, Kildow won the season’s first downhill race in November at Lake Louise. Two months later, she is ranked third in the World Cup downhill standings, second in the super-G and is the top American female, a candidate to become the next Picabo Street.

“I think my goals have changed quite a bit,” Kildow said, “because I’ve been so consistently in the top five, I’m pretty up there in super-G and downhill. Going into the season, I didn’t have that expectation. I knew I’d be top three in a couple races. I didn’t expect to be so consistent. I know those goals are high, but they’re attainable.”

Other top Americans:

Apolo Anton Ohno -- The winner of two medals in speedskating at the Salt Lake City Games is coming back and looking good in the leadup. Through four of six events this season, he leads the short-track world ranking in overall points.

Michelle Kwan -- Could this finally be the year? The 24-year-old won her ninth national championship this year. The only goal to elude her over a sterling career that has included five world championships is the Olympic gold medal.

Chris Klug -- Klug won a bronze medal in the snowboarders’ version of the downhill in Salt Lake City. In doing so, he became the first transplant survivor to stand on the medals podium. Klug’s emotional victory came 19 months after a liver transplant saved his life.

Jeremy Bloom -- Bloom gave up college and football to concentrate on freestyle skiing. After learning he couldn’t win his fight with the NCAA to remain eligible to play tight end at Colorado while accepting endorsements for his skiing career, Bloom decided a return trip to the Olympics was his choice. Eric Bergoust -- Four years ago, he was the prohibitive favorite to win gold in freestyle aerials. But forced to make a nearly perfect jump to defeat Ales Valenta of the Czech Republic, Bergoust overdid it and finished 12th, dead last among the finalists. He’s expected back, though, and is still considered one of the best.