Bode Miller smacked a gate so hard he crashed, opening a deep gash on his right leg and tearing a tendon that required surgery on Thursday night after the super-G race at the world championships in Colorado.
Norway's Kjetil Jansrud hit another panel and needed his left shoulder checked out.
This demanding and daunting course took a toll on some of the biggest names in skiing. Not Hannes Reichelt, though. The Austrian tamed this tricky terrain, winning the super-G after Miller tumbled down the hill.
Reichelt finished in 1 minute, 15.68 seconds - 0.11 seconds faster than Canada's Dustin Cook, who made a surprise run from back in the pack. Adrien Theaux of France earned the bronze.
Everyone was talking about Miller's horrific crash, including the winner.
"If you know Bode, sometimes it looks really bad, then he stands up and nothing happened," Reichelt said. "I hope he's safe and nothing happened."
No such luck. Miller underwent surgery on Thursday and is done for worlds. Miller said on his Twitter account after the operation: "Feeling lucky since things could have been way worse."
Miller had a strong run going when he hooked his left arm on a gate, spun backward, lost his right ski, then his left, and went somersaulting down the mountain. He appeared to fall on top of one of his bouncing skis, causing the deep wound. Miller gingerly got up, retrieved his gear and even finished the race as his wife, pro volleyball player Morgan Miller, watched in the gallery while holding his son.
"Bode was skiing outstanding," US men's coach Sasha Rearick said. "He was going for it, absolutely sending it from top to bottom. He took risks and was putting down a run that inspired America, inspires the world.
"He took a nasty crash. A really nasty crash."
It was Miller's first race since back surgery in November and yet he didn't hold back.
Share
