US skier Bode Miller decides to end his season early and skip World Cup finals

Bode Miller decides to skip World Cup finals

GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, Germany — Olympic gold medalist Bode Miller has called it a season, a week before the World Cup finals in Germany.

The U.S. skier ended his season early to rest a sore right ankle, and added that he hopes to discuss his future with U.S. men’s coach Sasha Rearick.

“At some point, I’ll sit down with Sasha and see where we’re at and what kind of program we can put together and I’ll make a plan from there,” Miller said in a statement released Tuesday.

Miller, of Franconia, N.H., has not competed since the Vancouver Olympics, where he won the super-combined gold medal and earned silver in the super-G and bronze in the downhill.

The 32-year-old Miller was not in the running for any World Cup titles. He missed much of the offseason as he considered retirement and then skipped some races after he injured his ankle in December while playing volleyball with teammates.

Miller showed he was rounding into shape in January when he captured the super-combined in Wengen, Switzerland. It was the 32nd World Cup victory of his career.

“My goal at the beginning of the season was to get ready for the Olympics and to win races in February,” Miller said. “I just focused on that and I did that.

“If I wasn’t injured, I would have made a separate decision about going to World Cup Finals, but that’s not the case,” he continued. “I feel like I accomplished everything I wanted to this season so it’s nice to just be able to relax.”