The U.S. Olympic team has had its ups and downs so far today. Ski racer Bode Miller was leading the men’s combined competition after the downhill portion and it looked as though he would lead after the first slalom run.
Miller’s downhill time was .32 of a second ahead of Switzerland’s Didier Defago. Miller lost some time in the first slalom run, but was still leading. After his run, he retired to his mobile home to rest before the second slalom. That was when TV replays showed that he straddled a gate on his run. That disqualified him.
“I came down and the run felt fine,” Miller said. “I had no idea I had straddled, unlike Wengen (a World Cup race last month where Miller also was disqualified) where I knew my ski had hit the gate. I was in the recovery room already getting ready for the second run when I heard it on the radio and I looked at the replay. To me it was clear, so there was no reason to protest it.”
On the other hand, Ski Club Vail’s Lindsey Kildow was released from the hospital and has been put on the U.S. start list for Wednesday’s women’s downhill.
“We want to give Lindsey every opportunity to ski in the downhill,” U.S. Alpine program director Jesse Hunt said in a news release. “She’ll be on our start list along with Kirsten Clark, Stacey Cook and Julia Mancuso.”
Kildow was released from the hospital today, one day after a horrific crash in downhill training. She was airlifted via helicopter to Turin.
On the luge team, Courtney Zablocki of Highlands Ranch finished fourth in the women’s singles, missing a medal by .392 of a second. The legendary German luge team swept the podium with Sylke Otto on top.
