A Medal of Every Color for Bode Miller

Update: Bode Miller adds both a silver and his first gold medal to his impressive awards collection. On Sunday Miller won the Super-Combined, giving him a record-tying three medals in these Olympics. The silver came from Friday’s Super-G event. Miller already has two silver medals from the 2002 Games in Salt Lake City, giving him five overall. Those five medals tie him for second most Alpine medals won by any man in Olympic history. Miller is behind only the eight won by Norway’s Kjetil Andre.On Tuesday Bode failed to finish the Giant Slalom, but he has one more shot at a medal in the Slalom on Saturday. Visit vancouver2010.com for a complete schedule of alpine skiing events and results.

A story with a happy ending is something that New Hampshire native Bode Miller is well deserving of. Rumors of Miller’s possible retirement were buzzing when he took a break from skiing following the 2009 World Championships, opting not to compete in the World Cup.

He was a main fixture at the World Cup for 13 straight seasons, and many were shocked at his bold move to break that impressive streak. But Miller’s hiatus allowed him to spend more time with his daughter, and allowed lingering injuries to fully heal. Though Miller had spent two solo seasons at the World Cup prior to his break from competition, he ultimately returned to the U.S. Team, eventually qualifying for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics.

Miller banished the disappoints of the 2006 Olympics (where he finished no better than fifth in downhill) on February 15 in Vancouver when he won the bronze medal, finishing just 0.02 seconds behind silver medalist Aksel Lund Svindal in the Alpine skiing Men’s Downhill event. Winning any medal while competing against the best from around the world is a huge accomplishment, and Miller knew it – you could tell by the look on his face after he finished his screaming-fast run. It was a look of pride, redemption and utter happiness.

Back in August of 2008, writer Meg Cadoux Hirshberg and photographer John Hession sat down with Bode Miller at his home. Read the in-depth profile here – Bode Miller: Young Man of the Mountain.