In what might be seen as the ultimate sign of respect for an American ski racer, the powerful Austrian ski team has been reorganized this season with one goal in mind: prevent Bode Miller from winning the World Cup overall title.
Miller finished a close second to Austrian Stefan Eberharter in the title chase last season.
Four Austrians–Christoph Gruber, Benjamin Raich, Michael Walchhofer and Hermann Maier–have been named to a squad code-named World Cup 4. The plan is for those racers to train together and compete in all four disciplines–slalom, giant slalom, downhill and super-G–instead of specializing in two or three. In recent years, four-event skiers have been rare on the World Cup.
“We saw last year Bode … skied four disciplines and he was very close to Stefan in the results,” Gruber said. “We have to do the same.”
The U.S. racers have another name for World Cup 4: The A-B (Anti-Bode) Team.
“The only good thing about it is that it’s creating a lot of inner turmoil in their team, and conflict,” U.S. men’s coach Phil McNichol said. “Bode has actually caused chaos for them. Hopefully chaos brings disorder and anarchy rules.”
For example, Hannes Trinkl, who finished ninth in the World Cup super-G standings last year, was held out of Sunday’s super-G in Lake Louise, Alberta, so Raich–until this year a slalom and giant-slalom specialist–could race instead. Raich came through, finishing fourth.
“It’s creating conflict among the athletes,” McNichol said. “As far as I’m concerned, the more of that I see, the better. Hopefully it will cause them some distraction and some trouble that could ultimately build into a bigger problem for them.”
Said Miller: “I’m not one who’s struggling for motivation. I don’t need somebody there, kicking me in the shins, trying to make me go faster.”
