Coach still proud of Asa Miller despite DNF in giant slalom
The Philippines’ Asa Miller checks out the course before the first run in giant slalom on Sunday. Photo from POC
MANILA, Philippines-Facing a challenging racing condition due to snowfall, Asa Miller’s campaign in giant slalom at the Beijing Winter Olympics ended in just less than 20 seconds.
Miller, the Philippine’s lone representative in the Games, crashed out of the race after an early slip led to a DNF (did not finish).
“Went out charging, sadly no Run 2 for me today,” Miller wrote on social media Sunday.
The Filipino-American, who was frustrated with his result and rushed back to the Olympic Village with his dad Kelly, was among the 33 skiers who failed to complete their first run.
“It’s certainly a bummer and as the course got skied out, Miller’s American coach Will Gregorak said. “it’s not good on the upper pitch. I feel bum for him but he had an excellent warm up this morning.”
“Asa didn’t want to ski just to finish, he wants to ski lay down and run,” Gregorak said. “The hard part about this hill is that it comes out as you ride and it gets very slick.”
Marco Odermatt of Switzerland paced the field in Run 1, clocking 1:02.93, just four hundredth of a second faster than Stefan Brennsteiner of Austria.
Despite the finish, Gregorak said he is still proud of Miller.
“I’m still proud of him, he still put out the work,” he said. “Like I said, he didn’t go out [only] to finish. That’s the nature of the sport, that’s what could happen.”
The 21-year-old Miller has another shot to achieve his modest goal of improving on his 70th place finish four years ago in Pyeongchang when he competes in the men’s slalom event on Wednesday.
“It’s part of alpine skiing,” said Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino from Tagaytay City. “But he still has the slalom on Wednesday.”
