Skiing: Injury throws doubt on Miller's World Cup start

The Alpine skiing World Cup season begins in Soelden, Austria, today, but the competition will have to wait to see the best of its most controversial star after America's Bode Miller raised doubts about his participation this weekend because of a back injury.

The circuit commences with a women's giant slalom today followed by a men's tomorrow. Miller has said he will wait until final practice to see if he was ready to compete.

The 30-year-old overall World Cup champion of 2005, who first gained international recognition beyond his sport with two medals at the Salt Lake Olympics in 2002, will compete this season as an independent racer for the first time. He split from the USA ski team in May after multiple rows about training methods and après-ski discipline.

New team rules last season curbing excessive post-race partying were aimed specifically at Miller, who admitted on American television last year that he had skied when "wasted" through alcohol. After a season under the new regime, Miller has eschewed the team set-up to return to his camper-van roots.

He arranges his own training and pays his five-man crew from his own pocket. "I want to compete for a whole season according to my own agenda," he said his week. "I want to be able to do the things that I am convinced will let me win races."

Miller finished fourth in the overall men's standings last season, but is considered a serious contender alongside Norway's 24-year-old Aksel Lund Svindal, who won last season, and Austria's Benjamin Raich, the 2006 World Cup champion.

The only Briton in action this weekend is 25-year-old Chemmy Alcott, who hopes this season to make up ground on such talents as Nicole Hosp, Anja Paerson and Julia Mancuso, all World Cup or Olympic champions.