Gold is All Downhill at the Olympics in Torino

Bode Miller is, he loves the spotlight. Too much. Perhaps it’s following in the steps of such notorious revolutionaries as Ali and Namath that gets his imagination thinking. Or, perhaps it’s because he learned his rebel image from a colleague of his by the name of Picabo. No matter who the influence, one thing is certain, Bode Miller turns heads and raises eyebrows every time he speaks. And he hasn’t even gotten on the hill yet.

One has to be a tad wack to participate in the downhill. Racers run hell bent for leather down a twisting, winding course at nearly ninety miles an hour in an effort to be crowned the fastest man and woman on skis. Bode has come close before, having won silver at Salt Lake in 2002. And perhaps that’s what’s driving him. He wants to take that extra step any way he can do achieve the gold he feels he so richly deserves.

Trouble is, names like Walchhofer, Buechel, and even fellow teammate Daron Rahlves stand in his way. Those names haven’t grabbed headlines with claims that Barry Bonds and Lance Armstrong cheat with steroids. They speak on the Olympic run, and as such, have all recently placed ahead of Miller in recent downhill events. And yet, Miller grabs the headlines, preferring to be notorious. The funny thing about being notorious, however, is that when you’re winning people think you’re colorful, but when you miss the medal platform, they just think you’re compensating for something.

That’s what lies ahead for Bode Miller, and it’s his own fault. In reality, Bode has nothing to prove, except to himself and the competitive field he keeps company with. But Bode has his work cut out for him, as he’s currently seventh in World Cup standings. World Champion, Franz Stroble of Germany may have broken his hand in a recent World Cup Downhill race, but he’ll no doubt be there as well. So Bode better stop complaining about drug rules and bring his “A” game. Otherwise, he’s liable to be in for a heck of a battle down the slopes of Sestriere.
On the women’s side of the run, Lindsay Kildow is ready to rock. After having placed fourth in the 2995 World Championships, she’s reaching for the medal platform. However, hometown favorite Elena Fanchini, Switzerland’s Sylviane Berthod, and Austria’s Olympic veteran Alexandra Meissnitzer may have something to say about that. Fanchini will be skiing for the host country while Berthod wants to rebound from her crash at Salt Lake. And Meissnitzer, hasn’t tasted gold in nearly a decade. And finally, there’s Michaela Dorfmeister, who’s on a roll having won 10 of the season’s 11 World Cup speed events. And with Torino being the crown jewel in her farewell World Cup tour, she’s not to be missed on the podium as well.

Don’t count out Americans Julia Mancuso, Caroline Lalive, and Stacey Cook. Mancuso has tasted bronze in the World Championships twice, Lalive who has fought for her Olympic moment since 1998 in Nagano -where she placed a distant seventh, and Cook who seems poised to take her downhill to the next level after winning overall and downhill titles in 2004. All are on the verge to take that next step. And if the drama of the Olympic stage teaches us anything, it’s that unlikely champions can appear at any moment.

The field for women’s downhill is competitive and deep. With every single competitor having something to prove. But that’s what makes the Olympic downhill so spectacular an event. It’s racer against the clock. And the only thing to prove is to one’s self.