Alpine skier Miller to miss end of World Cup season

By Brian Homewood

GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, Germany (Reuters) - Olympic champion Bode Miller will miss this week's season-ending World Cup finals to get treatment on a troublesome ankle injury, the U.S. team said on Tuesday.

The American, who won the gold medal in the super combined as well as a silver and a bronze at the Vancouver Games last month, was not in contention for a season title.

"My ankle is still bothering me so I'm going to stay home and get treatment," Miller said in a statement issued by the U.S. ski team.

"My goal at the beginning of the season was to get ready for the Olympics and to win races in February.

"I just focused on that and I did that. If I wasn't injured, I would have a made a separate decision about going to World Cup finals but that's not the case. I feel like I accomplished everything I wanted to this season so it's nice to just be able to relax," he said.

Team spokesman Doug Haney said Miller was still suffering from the injury he suffered during a team volleyball match at Val d'Isere earlier in the season.

"The situation is that his injury was never able to heal properly this season because he continued to ski, as his goal was the Olympic Games," Haney told Reuters.

"Now it's time for him to take a break to give it a chance for it to heal between now and the spring, when he will start training for the new season.

"The team totally supports his decision," said Haney, adding that doctors could not so how long it would take for Miller to make a full recovery.

Miller, 32, said he had not yet decided on his plans for next season which also includes world championships.

"At some point, I'll sit down with Sasha (Rearick, U.S. ski team head coach) and see where we're at and what kind of program we can put together and I'll make a plan from there," he said.

(additional reporting by Simon Evans in Miami; editing by Miles Evans)