ARE, Sweden -- Bode Miller went out, as he often does. And he stayed on his feet as he also often manages to do, contrary to popular belief.
Miller -- who won Thursday's super-G and finished second in Wednesday's downhill -- misjudged a turn, slammed into a gate and veered off course Friday in the opening run of the World Cup giant slalom finale.
Austria's Benjamin Raich won the race and the World Cup discipline title in 2 minutes, 22.50 seconds. Italy's Massimiliano Blardone was runner-up in 2:23.44, while Sweden's Fredrik Nyberg was third with 2:23.52.
Though he is notorious for failing for finish the technical events, Miller rarely "crashes out."
Miller has now failed to finish three of six World Cup giant slalom races this season, but he hasn't fallen once. Despite not finishing five of seven slaloms, he has crashed only twice.
The 28-year-old misjudged a turn midway down the dim Olympia course and struck the gate hard with his left shoulder. The impact slammed his face against his knee, causing him to bite his tongue. He swerved away and stood for several moments, bent over in pain.
Miller made the same kind of spectacular recovery in the Olympic super-G at Sestiere, a stunning athletic move that went largely unappreciated.
"When I was going it was pretty dark," Miller said. "I started the turn right where I thought I needed to, but by the time I initiated the turn I knew I was going to go right through the middle of that gate.
"I ... made sure I was going to get my feet around it, and at that point it's just luck whether the panel comes off, or you snap the pole off, or you rip the gate out. It slammed me pretty hard. I hurt my arm and my shoulder and my face. I hit my face off my knee, bit my tongue, even a little blood. It was disappointing because I wanted to have a second look at this course."
Are is the site of next winter's world championships. Asked whether it meant he will be back, Miller answered: "It's all up in the air still."
But Miller seems to be making conciliatory moves toward the U.S. ski team, calling U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association president and chief executive officer Bill Marolt "a phenomenal CEO." He also praised the team's coaching staff and declared he doesn't want break away from the team.
He angered ski officials this year when he said in a TV interview he skied "wasted" and called for liberalized anti-doping rules. His team paid a fine he received for refusing to take an equipment test after a race.
Marolt said he would talk with Miller when the season ended regarding his declining performances after Miller failed to medal at the Olympics.
Following his bang-up, Miller did not train slalom ahead of Saturday's race. He has severe pain in his left knee since injuring it on a jump in Beaver Creek earlier this season.
He will not race Sunday's team event.
Olympic giant slalom champion Julia Mancuso, Lindsey Kildow and Resi Stiegler will race the team event. U.S. coaches have yet to decide which men will run. This means Daron Rahlves' sixth-placed finish in Friday's giant slalom could be his last career World Cup result.
