Bode Miller's ankle needs some rest. He will not race in the Bormio (Italy) downhill between Christmas and New Years (Dec. 29) and will return to the United States instead. Miller won at Bormio in the 2008 season and claimed both the downhill and super G World Championship gold medals there in 2005. He is renown for skiing the treacherous course on one ski after a ski released high on the course.

Miller, America's most prolific World Cup ski racer with 31 victories injured his ankle in a ski team organized volleyball game Dec. 12 at Val d'Isere and skipped the last race there. Though he has raced since then, skiing in the Alta Badia Giant Slalom aggravated the injury and increased swelling, forcing forced him out of the slalom Monday, Dec. 21.

After Bormio there are no men's races on the World Cup until Zagreb's slalom until Jan. 6 and Adelboden's GS-slalom series Jan. 9-10. Miller will be participating in physical training blocks over the holidays, aiming to return for these races, dependent on how his ankle responds. He has not yet won a World Cup this season. He has been in the top 10 in five of the six races he has completed and currently rests in 14th on the World Cup overall standings.

Bode Miller photo by GEPA