Bode Miller, a former Olympic skiing star who won gold at that 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver, was arrested earlier this month on drug charges.
The 48-year-old alpine skiing great was arrested in Idaho and faces two misdemeanor charges following an incident on June 6 – three days prior to the tragic anniversary of his infant daughter’s death.
According to Fremont County Magistrate Court records, Miller was charged with one count of possession of a controlled substance and one count of possession of drug paraphernalia.
TMZ reported the skier was allegedly found with 4.1 grams of psilocybin – commonly known as hallucinogenic mushrooms.
Miller has pleaded not guilty to both charges and was released after posting US$5,000 bond.
What did Bode Miller say about the charges?
On Tuesday night, Miller issued a statement on Instagram, addressing the incident and charges.
“I was pulled over for accelerating while passing another vehicle on a highway in Idaho,” Miller wrote in a plain-text post on the social media platform.
“My friend, who was traveling with me, had a small amount of cannabis and a cannabis pipe in his possession, which I was unaware of.
“We fully cooperated with the officer. I am hopeful the misdemeanor charges will be dropped once the facts are reviewed.”
His next court appearance is currently scheduled for a pretrial hearing on July 29.
How did Miller’s daughter die?
Miller is one of the most-decorated skiers in U.S. history, capturing six Olympics medals (one gold, three silver and two bronze) during his career. He was also a two-time overall World Cup champion, capturing the title in 2005 and 2008.
Unfortunately, he and wife Morgan were struck by tragedy on June 9, 2018, when their daughter, Emeline, drowned in a neighbour’s swimming pool. Emeline was just 19 months old at the time.
Bode and Morgan have been married since 2012 and share six other children together. The Olympian also has a son and daughter from a previous relationship.