Bode Miller is leaning toward retirement following his World Championships super-G crash on Thursday, he told NBC’s Dan Hicks.
Miller, 37 and a six-time Olympic medalist, said he had not made up his mind whether he will try to ski competitively again after surgery to repair a severed right hamstring tendon.
“I’m leaning pretty heavy towards not, not going out there anymore,” Miller said. “I tried retiring a couple of times and it just didn’t really stick so, but at some point enough things conspire together and it does stick.
“I’m not one of those people who needs a grand showing off or parade or anything. I just won’t be there.”
The full interview with Miller will air during coverage of the World Alpine Skiing Championships men’s downhill on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC and NBC Sports Live Extra (full broadcast schedule here).
Miller, who said in April that he would probably retire this year, underwent back surgery in November and had not skied in a race this season before Thursday. Miller’s wife, Morgan, has a baby due in May, according to The Associated Press.
“The preparation is pretty demanding, requires summers and requires unbelievable commitment to fitness and the dry-land program,” Miller said Friday, according to the AP. “That’s just really hard to juggle with my priorities right now. I love racing. But I just don’t know.”
Miller said the cut shown on TV wasn’t his only cut.
“If I was tougher than I am, I probably could’ve had them sew the thing up and leave the hamstring tendon completely cut,” Miller said, according to the AP. “There was another cut inside of that one that cut the tendon in half. That was the deal breaker.”
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