Bode Miller facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Bode Miller

Alpine skier
Miller in February 2011
Disciplines	Downhill, super-G, giant slalom, slalom, combined
Club	Franconia Ski Club / Carrabassett Valley Academy
Born	(1977-10-12) October 12, 1977 (age 47) Easton, New Hampshire, U.S.
Height	6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
World Cup debut	November 20, 1997 (age 20)
Retired	2017
Olympics
Teams	5 – (1998–2014)
Medals	6 (1 gold)
World Championships
Teams	8 – (1999–2015)
Medals	5 (4 gold)
World Cup
Seasons	16 – (1998–2012, 2014)
Wins	33
Podiums	79
Overall titles	2 – (2005, 2008)
Discipline titles	6 – (2 SG, 1 GS, 3 K)
Medal record International alpine ski competitions Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 1 3 2 World Championships 4 1 0 World Cup race podiums Event 1st 2nd 3rd Slalom 5 5 2 Giant 9 7 5 Super-G 5 5 2 Downhill 8 9 3 Combined 6 3 4 Parallel 0 0 1 Olympic Games Gold 2010 Vancouver Super combined Silver 2002 Salt Lake City Giant slalom Silver 2002 Salt Lake City Combined Silver 2010 Vancouver Super-G Bronze 2010 Vancouver Downhill Bronze 2014 Sochi Super-G World Championships Gold 2003 St. Moritz Giant slalom Gold 2003 St. Moritz Combined Gold 2005 Bormio Downhill Gold 2005 Bormio Super-G Silver 2003 St. Moritz Super-G

Samuel Bode Miller (born October 12, 1977) is an American former alpine ski racer. He is one of the most successful male American alpine skiers ever. Bode is famous for winning many medals at the Olympics and World Championships.

He won the overall World Cup title twice, in 2005 and 2008. He is also one of only five men to win World Cup races in all five alpine skiing events. He has 33 World Cup victories, which is a huge achievement!

Bode Miller won six medals at the Winter Olympics. This is more than any other U.S. skier. He earned two silver medals in Salt Lake City 2002. At the Vancouver 2010 Games, he won a gold, a silver, and a bronze. He added another bronze medal in Sochi 2014.

He also won four World Championships titles in different events. He retired from ski racing in October 2017.

Early Life and Skiing Style

Bode Miller grew up in Franconia, a small town in the White Mountains. His family lived in a log cabin without electricity or indoor plumbing. He was homeschooled until third grade.

Later, he got a scholarship to the Carrabassett Valley Academy, a special ski racing school in Maine. He also played tennis and soccer when he was younger.

Miller became well-known after winning two silver medals at the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics. He was already known to ski fans since he was 18. Bode is famous for his daring style. He often took big risks to ski as fast as possible. He once said his goal was to ski "as fast as the natural universe will allow."

Ski Racing Career Highlights

Starting Out (1998–2001)

Bode Miller first raced in the World Cup in 1998. He also raced for the U.S. at the 1998 Nagano Olympics. He competed in technical races like giant slalom and slalom.

In 1999, he added super-G to his races. He finished 8th in slalom at the World Ski Championships. He earned his first World Cup podium (top three finish) in December 2000. This was a third-place finish in giant slalom.

Double Silver Medals (2002)

In the 2002 season, Miller started racing in downhill, making him a five-event skier. He won his first World Cup race in December 2001 in giant slalom. The next day, he won another race in slalom. He won two more slalom races in January 2002.

At the 2002 Winter Olympics, he won two silver medals. He got silver in the combined event and another silver in the giant slalom. He almost won a third medal in slalom. He was in second place after the first run. But he pushed for gold in the second run, fell, and missed a gate. This showed his "go big or go home" style.

Becoming a World Cup Champion (2003–2005)

In 2003, Miller nearly won the overall World Cup title, finishing second. At the 2003 World Championships, he won three medals. He took gold in giant slalom and combined, and silver in super-G.

In 2004, Miller won World Cup titles in giant slalom and combined. He won six World Cup races that season. After this season, he changed his ski brand to Atomic skis.

Miller won his first overall World Cup title in 2005. He made history by winning at least one race in all four main World Cup events: slalom, giant slalom, super-G, and downhill. He was the second man ever to do this. At the 2005 World Championships, he won two gold medals in super-G and downhill.

A Challenging Olympic Year (2006)

Miller in the giant slalom
at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Italy

The 2006 Winter Olympics were tough for Miller. He didn't win any medals, despite being a favorite. He finished 5th in downhill and was disqualified in the combined event. He also didn't finish the super-G or slalom races. Even so, he won two World Cup races that season and finished third overall. He had treatments for his knee in February 2006.

Independent Success (2007–2009)

In 2007, Miller had four first-place finishes in the World Cup. He finished 4th overall and won the super-G title. In May 2007, Miller decided to leave the U.S. Ski Team. He raced on his own, with his own team called "Team America."

In 2008, Miller won his second overall World Cup championship. He won six races that season, including two downhills and two combined events. This was a very impressive season for him.

However, 2009 was a difficult season. Miller didn't win any races and had only two second-place finishes. He suffered a torn ligament in his left ankle. He took a break from racing and hinted that he might retire.

Olympic Glory in Vancouver (2010)

The on-hill podium ceremony.
From left: Ivica Kostelić (silver), Bode Miller (gold) and Silvan Zurbriggen (bronze)

Miller rejoined the U.S. Ski Team for the 2010 season. He won a World Cup super-combined event in January 2010, his first win in almost two years.

At the 2010 Winter Olympics, he was chosen to compete in all five events. He won a bronze medal in the downhill. This was the first American downhill Olympic medal since 1994. He then won a silver in the super-G. On February 21, 2010, he won his first Olympic gold medal in the super combined. He became the most successful American skier at those Games.

Last Victory and a Break (2011–2013)

After his Olympic success, Miller had a quieter season in 2011. He still managed to finish in the top three three times. He started the World Championships in Garmisch-Partenkirchen with a daring super-G race. He was leading even after losing a pole, but he lost balance near the end.

Miller earned his 33rd World Cup win in December 2011 with a downhill victory in Beaver Creek. He also had several other podium finishes that season. After having knee surgery in spring 2012, Miller decided to skip the entire 2013 season. He wanted to be fully healthy for his fifth Olympics in 2014.

Comeback for Bronze (2014)

When Miller returned for the 2014 season, he surprised many by finishing second in a giant slalom race. He also finished third in a downhill race at Kitzbühel and second in a super-G race there.

At the 2014 Winter Olympics, Miller won two training sessions for the downhill. However, he finished eighth in the actual race. He then finished sixth in the super combined event. On February 16, 2014, Miller became the oldest Olympic medalist in alpine skiing history. He won a bronze medal in the super-G race. This was his sixth Olympic medal, putting him second on the all-time list for male alpine skiers.

Injuries and Retirement (2015–2017)

In November 2014, Bode Miller had back surgery. He tried to come back for the 2015 World Championships. But he crashed during the super-G race and tore a hamstring tendon. This injury forced him to stop competing for the rest of the championships.

After this, Miller decided to skip another season to spend time with his family. He also focused on his new interest, horse training. He ended his contract with HEAD skis. He then signed a deal with Bomber Ski, an American company.

However, in late 2016, when Miller wanted to race with Bomber skis, HEAD blocked him. They said he had agreed not to compete with other ski brands for two years. This led to a legal disagreement.

On October 31, 2017, Bode Miller officially announced his retirement from ski racing. He was also inducted into the US Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame.

World Cup Results

Season Titles

Bode Miller won 8 World Cup titles during his career:

• 2 overall titles
• 2 super-G titles
• 1 giant slalom title
• 3 combined titles

Season Standings

This table shows Bode Miller's rankings in the World Cup each season.

Race Victories

Bode Miller won 33 World Cup races in total:

• 8 Downhill wins
• 5 Super-G wins
• 9 Giant Slalom wins
• 5 Slalom wins
• 6 Combined/Super Combined wins

Podiums per Season

Bode Miller achieved 79 podium finishes (top three) in his World Cup career.

Podiums per Discipline

Here's a breakdown of Miller's podium finishes by each skiing event.

Olympic Results

Bode Miller is one of the most successful alpine ski racers in Olympic history. He competed in five Winter Olympics. He won six medals, including one gold. He is the only American skier to win medals at three different Olympics.

World Championships Results

Bode Miller also competed in many World Championships, winning four gold medals and one silver.

Publicity and Media

2002 Olympics Fame

Miller became famous partly because of his slalom race at the 2002 Winter Olympics. He had already won two silver medals and was set for a third. But he missed a gate. Instead of giving up, he hiked back up to finish the race. This showed that he cared more about how he skied than just winning medals. He said he was "going for the win."

2010 Olympic Success

Miller in the downhill at the 2010 Winter Olympics

Miller's great success in the 2010 Olympics was different from his 2006 results. He explained that in 2010, he decided that's what he wanted to do. His coaches said he "helps inspire [them]." Miller felt that being a "poster boy" for the Olympics in 2006 was "too much." In 2010, he was proud of the "amazing" feeling of skiing his "absolute best." He ended the 2010 Games as the most successful American skier.

2014 Olympic Emotions

Miller's strong training for the downhill race in 2014 created a lot of excitement. He even said, "I want to win." But he finished 8th in the race. He mentioned warm weather and poor visibility as reasons. When he won a bronze medal in the super-G, he said, "Today was one of the days where it does matter."

Other Sports and Interests

Miller while playing for the Nashua Pride in 2007

In 2002, Miller won the Superstars competition. This TV event features athletes from different sports competing. In 2009, he finished second in a Superstars team competition.

Miller also played baseball for the Nashua Pride team for one day in 2006 and 2007. He even made a great catch in left field! In 2010, he threw out the first pitch at a Boston Red Sox baseball game. He also tried to qualify for the 2010 US Open in tennis.

Personal Life

Bode Miller has a daughter, Neesyn Dace (born 2008), and a son, Samuel Bode (born 2013).

In October 2012, Miller married Morgan Beck, a professional beach-volleyball player. They have several children together: Edward Nash Skan (born 2015), Emeline "Emmy" Grier (born 2016), Easton Vaughn Rek (born 2018), and twin boys Asher and Aksel (born 2019). In November 2021, they welcomed another daughter, Scarlet Olivia Khione.

Sadly, in June 2018, their 19-month-old daughter Emeline passed away after a drowning accident.

Bode's younger brother, Chelone, was a snowboarder. He competed in the 2010 Winter X Games. Chelone passed away in 2013 at age 29.

Images for kids

• 

  Miller while playing for the Nashua Pride in 2007

See also

• Ski World Cup Most podiums & Top 10 results