Lone PH bet Asa Miller thanks supporters despite ending Beijing Winter Olympics stint early
Filipino-American alpine skier Asa Miller is still "happy" despite ending his 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics bid prematurely after striking a Did Not Finish (DNF) result in the men’s slalom category.
In an Instagram post, the athlete said: "Well my second Olympics are over and things didn't quite go my way. While I'm walking away without any result, I'm happy with some [sic] my skiing this week in some tough conditions."
"Thank you everyone for your kind words. Time [to] relax a bit and I'll be back for the closing ceremony," he added.
The 21-year-old athlete had high hopes on Feb. 16 as he waited for his turn at the Yanqing National Alpine Skiing Centre. However, Miller slipped during the third intermediate of the first run.
For the first and second intermediates, Miller clocked in 12.93 seconds and 36.51 seconds, respectively.
Miller along with the rest of the alpine ski delegates struggled with the heavy snowfall that persisted days before the event, and 33 other skiers were tagged for DNF.
Taking the podium for the men’s slalom category are France’s Clement Noel, Austria’s Johannes Strol, and Norway’s Sebastian Foss-Solevaag.
Miller likewise attempted to qualify for the men’s giant slalom event on Sunday, but the Fil-Am skier also caught a DNF after crashing out under 20 seconds.
This year, Miller is the lone representative of the Philippines for the quadrennial event. He also repped the country during the previous Winter Olympics for the men’s giant slalom, along with figure skater Michael Martinez. The skier finished on the 70th place during the said stint.
Miller will remain in Beijing for the Feb. 20 closing ceremony of this year’s Olympic event.
