On Monday, Bode Miller ended a nearly 14-year podium drought for U.S. men, finishing second in slalom, after starting 54th, at the Chevy Truck Aspen Winter. It was the first men’s slalom podium for the U.S. since Felix McGrath’s second to Alberto Tomba in March of 1988.

Miller, a 1998 Olympian and current A Team member for U.S. Skiing, tore his left ACL completely off in an accident last February, but in three weeks the ACL reattached and he did not have any surgery. In this edition of “10 Questions for…,” Miller talks about the race, the Olympics and the U.S. team.

Q1. So, just a matter of two smooth runs, no?

BODE MILLER: I don't really think either one of the runs was spectacular, but to make it down both with only small errors in the first run - one kinda big bobble towards the bottom...but coming out of that start [54th] position, I'm real happy where I ended up.

Q2. Did you hear the crowd yelling 'Bo-DEE, Bo-DEE'?

BODE MILLER: As I got toward the bottom, I could hear 'em yelling...but I heard 'em yelling yesterday and then I went out. Not that the two of them are linked, but I definitely slowed down on the bottom part there because the nerves got me a little bit. I felt great yesterday and then for that [missing a gate he had to hike as he eventually finished 26th, but too far back in time to earn World Cup points] to happen was really disappointing, and then today I got through there no problem. It felt like redemption.

Q3. Yesterday was unlucky for the U.S. Ski Team and today again …

BODE MILLER: It's a little bit disappointing to not have more of my teammates in there as well. We've been skiing great as we showed in Loveland [Erik Schlopy won both Nature Valley Alpine Cup SLs, Chip Knight was second and third, Tom Rothrock had two top-10s]. Tom skied a good first run today and he got really unlucky in that second run. He's been one of our most consistent guys. For him to do that on a big day like this for him was really disappointing. ...We've got five or six guys who can all be in the top 15. So, I think when that happens it's going to be really exciting and I hope to be on the top of the podium.

Q4. The Ski Team said this was like an Olympic rehearsal with all the media, crowd, etc.

BODE MILLER: If this is a precursor, then I'm in good shape...

Q5. You excel in GS, so now you're back to having two events …

BODE MILLER: Skiing is skiing - if you're skiing well in slalom, it seems to carry over to GS and vice-versa, and into super G as well...It's your feel on skis and your mental approach and how well you're focusing at the time. I think I'm maturing in that way. I feel good and I'm ready to do it in any event.

Q6. You'll have better start positions now. Will that change your tactics?

BODE MILLER: The tactics are important and they're based on the course and the hill that day. Obviously, I'm not going to say I wasn't trying to win today; I mean, that was obviously the plan. But you can only approach a course as best you can for your own style and your own ability. For me, that second run I had to make a choice there, and I could've probably pushed the limit more and maybe won and maybe blown out. But the decision I made I felt very confident about, that it was the right one - it was to back off a little bit and try to not make any mistakes. That was probably the best way for me to ski that course. You can speculate all you want but to come down error-free and to move from where I did to second place -- Mario Matt skied a great run and I still made up a lot of time on him, just not enough. So, in the future, I'll ski the courses and I'll make my decisions as I can. Mostly, it's not conditions as far as number goes as course-set and snow conditions. If it's icy, I feel comfortable attacking from anywhere. And if it's soft, then you've got to pay attention to that.

Q7. No American done this well in SL since '88. What's this mean for the program?

BODE MILLER: Everything goes in ebbs and flows. It seems like we're building. We're on the way up and we have a young team that's growing. We've been in a bit of a trough for a while but we have a team now that's strong enough to really compete for medals in any event, on any course, in any conditions. What you saw today is the ghost of it -- having one guy out of six who can ski in the top group is really a small percentage compared to what I think we're capable of.

Q8. What did you think as you stood at the finish?

BODE MILLER: I figured I'd be in the top-5 when I came down. Not really the gap so much ... just because I knew the conditions and I knew the course. It wasn't an easy course to ski hard. If you skied it hard you saw a lot of the guys who skied it hard blowing out and having big problems. That makes it a little more comfortable standing at the bottom knowing the guys who are going to be threatening are the guys who are gonna cruise it down and not make any mistakes. And Mario's obviously got the skill and the ability to do that, and that's what he did today.

Q9. What's with guys coming out of the back (of the start list to do well)?

BODE MILLER: Part of it is the course conditions. When you have as many people as we had out there today working really hard to keep the course up, it keeps it more fair for everyone. And another part of it is the skis. Everyone is still adapting incredibly fast to the changing skis and the changing technique, and whatever they're doing with that. The reverse-30 is really catching up with people, too. The first guys are having a great run first run and then having to run on a beat-up course the second run, and vice-versa for the guys running in the back on the first run. There's a lot of guys in the back who're charging hard whereas the guys in the front as trying more to maintain their position and ski consistent. So, the tactics change a little bit as you get to the later numbers...

Q10. It's been said you do it your way. Is this vindication?

BODE MILLER: It's more of a cliche than anything else that that term's put on me. I'm not trying to prove anyone wrong or prove myself right. I'm just trying to get good World Cup results. I'm trying to win. If I can do it my way and win, that's great. And if I can do it someone else's way and win, that's just as good. I'm just trying to get good results. Me and my coaches have been working together very well. I take what they say for everything I can get out of it. It might not be as much as some other guys, but it's definitely worth hearing and it seems like it's working. I'm getting better and I still have some ways to go.