Bode Miller will push himself to the limit

FOR one of the finest all-round World Cup skiers of his generation, Bode Miller's two Olympic silver medals from Salt Lake City eight years ago are a pretty poor return.

But the American, while targeting gold, has other ideas about what he wants to be remembered for.

"The legacy I want to leave behind is racing for the pure enjoyment of racing fast. You want to win by skiing a race that you're proud of and you feel like you've really challenged yourself and left it all out there.

"That's the legacy that I'd like to leave behind, that I came into this last Olympics... and raced hard. Hopefully, I can make the tactical decisions to be error-free, but I want to make sure I find the gas pedal and press it to the fullest," he said.

Miller, a two-time overall World Cup winner, contrasts his own approach – taking risks in pursuit of the limits of his ability – with the more calculated approach of some on the tour.

He describes some of his fellow racers as "just looking like they're going to work every day and skiing to just get a result and come back the next day."

"I'd hate to be one of the guys who is up there racing with their head running the show, tactically, just to get the results," he said.

"That's one of the things that skiing is suffering from right now. I re-watched the whole (March 2009] world championships in the middle of the summer and I didn't see one inspiring run from the guys the whole time."

Miller, with 32 career World Cup wins, was hyped up as a potential multiple medallist at Turin four years ago but left empty-handed and with only a few newspaper stories about his enjoyment of the Italian nightlife for memories.

Having quit the sport and then come back in the autumn, his schedule has focused on Olympic success rather than eking out points in the grind of the World Cup tour and he believes he arrives in Canada in good shape.

Despite a season where he has skipped races and not worried about the overall World Cup standings, Miller has his eye on results at Whistler and believes he has the form to win across the four disciplines and in combined.

"I will have to ski well in every event but I think if I do ski well in every event, I have the speed right now to be on the podium," he said.