Miller Enjoying Time in "Not Quite Finished" Sochi -- On the Scene

(ATR) Never one to shy away from voicing his opinion, five-time Olympic alpine skier Bode Miller was candid but certainly not critical of Sochi at the U.S. Ski Team’s opening news conference.

Miller – who clocked the fastest time in Thursday’s opening downhill training run at Rosa Khutor – said he generally has been satisfied with his first few days in Sochi.

"My experience so far has been good. Our area is not quite finished, but where we are is nice," Miller said regarding the team’s mountain accommodations.

"I think it was very rushed. That’s what you get the impression of," Miller said of Sochi.

"Everything isn’t quite done. They can use a little bit more time."

Miller made his Olympic debut in Nagano 1998, won a pair of silver medals in Salt Lake City 2002, earned criticism at Turin 2006 for infamously saying he "got to party and socialize at an Olympic level," and rebounded to garner three medals in Vancouver 2010.

"I’ve been to a lot of Olympics, and even Salt Lake seemed like they were scrambling to get stuff done," said the 36-year-old Miller.

"I won’t pass any judgment until after the Opening Ceremony, so they have another few hours to finish things up," Miller said, provoking laughter from the packed room of journalists at the Mountain Media Center.

Miller was asked his opinion regarding the humanitarian issues and controversial law that have begun to taint the image of the Sochi Games.

"It seems like, leading up to the Games, everyone always has worries, concerns, and speculation," Miller said, referring to the Olympics in general. "All the focus is on everything else but the sports, the athletes, and the ideal of the Olympics, the camaraderie and all the unique aspects and I think this is no different.

"Certainly these issues were no more political as in China or Olympics as far back as you can remember."

The two-time overall World Cup champion said talk of issues and politics will shift to competition and the athletes after Friday’s opening ceremony.

"Just watching the Opening Ceremony, listening to the speeches, and watching athletes walk crystallizes what it’s all about and the political stuff drifts into the periphery," Miller said.

Despite his candid remarks calling Russia’s anti-gay propaganda law "embarrassing" at the U.S. Olympic media summit in Park City, Utah on September 30, Miller said politics and sports should be separated.

"I don’t really feel like the Olympics is a place for that kind of politics. It’s a place for sports and a place for cultures to put aside their differences and compete.

"It’s a really good test of people’s ability to do that now because it’s easier to get caught up in all the other stuff and forget what the Olympics is about."

Miller and the alpine skiers have a second downhill training run on Friday morning at Rosa Khutor with the men’s Olympic downhill to be contested on Sunday.

Written byBrian Pinelliin SochiFor general comments or questions,click here.20 Years at #1: Your best source of news about the Olympics isAroundTheRings.com, for subscribers only.