Miller takes rest after 3 days of hard sessions

YANQING, CHINA – Asa Miller took a rest from training yesterday as he shifted his focus on the opening ceremony where he’s to carry the country’s colors in his second straight Winter Olympics.

After three straight days of two-hour training sessions – alternating on the giant slalom and slalom of men’s alpine skiing– it was a day to rest his muscles and mindset for the two events he’ll be competing in on Feb. 13 and 16.

“We decided to take today off, some rest for his sore muscles,” Miller’s father Kelly said from the Yanqing Olympic Village before they boarded a bus for the two-hour trip to the National Stadium, also called the “The Bird’s Nest,” which also hosted the opening ceremony of the Beijing Summer Olympics 14 years ago.

“Rest days are just as important as training days,” said the 21-year-old Miller, who would march ahead of the small Philippine delegation in the parade of nations during the opening ceremony.

Philippine Olympic Committee President Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino, Chef de Mission Bones Floro, Philippine Ski and Snowboard Federation president Jim Apelar were set to join Miller in the parade.

“While skiing comes in short bursts of energy, it’s extremely taxing on muscles and I’m choosing to let my body heal to hopefully alleviate some of the small pains I’m experiencing currently,” said the Economics major at the Westminster College in Salt Lake City, Utah.

“It’s good that we started with the slalom skis,” said Miller. “We’re starting to adjust to the snow and it’s different from where I normally ski, but it’s all good.”

Alpine skiing, one of 15 disciplines on the Games program, will be held at the National Alpine Skiing Centre on the slopes of Xiaohaituo Mountain.

The Millers said they will decide on Saturday morning whether to return to the mountain or strategize on the skiers game plan on Saturday.

“We’ll decide on how Asa feels later,” Kelly Miller said.

It wasn’t immediately known how many fans will be allowed at “The Bird’s Nest” for the opening ceremony although organizers announced that 150,000 spectators will be invited to attend the events in two of the three clusters of venues in Beijing and Zhangjiakou. The alpine skiing and sliding sports in Yanqing will be held without fans.

Plans to sell tickets to international visitors were also scrapped because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Three-time Academy Award nominee Zhang Yimou is again directing the opening and closing ceremonies of these Winter Olympics as he did in the 2008 Summer Games. He withheld information on the show but said the entire ceremony will be “simple, safe and splendid.”

At least 3,000 performers, most of which are teenagers are participating in the opening ceremony.

Asa Miller, meanwhile, thanked Diaz for her inspiring message.

“It really means a lot to me,” Miller said of Diaz’s message of motivation and patience. “She’s really an amazing athlete. I am really super motivated after watching her capture the Olympic gold medal in the Tokyo Olympics.”

Diaz advised the Filipino-American from Portland, Oregon, to “just go on and don’t regret anything,” reminding him that “it doesn’t matter how many times he tries as long as he’s very dedicated to the sport he loves.”

Diaz started her Olympic dream in Beijing 2008 and also joined London 2012 and Rio 2018 where she got silver, before winning the country’s first Olympic gold medal in Tokyo last July. She led a 2-2-1 gold-silver-bronze haul from boxers Carlo Paalam, Nesthy Petecio and Eumir Felix Marcial.

“She’s very, very successful in her game, it means a lot. So I hope I can use it as motivation to perform well in my upcoming two races, I hope to follow up [Diaz’s success],” said Miller, adding he and Diaz  already talked in an online meeting set by the POC Athletes’ Commission last month.

“I’ve got to talk to her actually before I came here via zoom call and it’s so nice to meet all of them too,” he said.

Joining Miller and Diaz in the virtual meeting were Athletes’ Commission members Nikko Huelgas (triathlon), Jessie Lacuna (swimming), Sam Morrison (taekwondo), Petecio, Francesca Almonte (softball) and Jake Letts (rugby).

End it…end it