updated 3:03 p.m. ET Feb. 22, 2006

SESTRIERE, Italy - Bode Miller was rehabbing his ankle Wednesday after twisting it while playing basketball with teammates but is expected to race the Olympic slalom, his fifth and final chance at a Turin Games medal.

“He’s good to go,” U.S. men’s skiing coach Phil McNichol said.

U.S. team spokesman Marc Habermann confirmed an SI.com report that Miller hurt his left ankle Tuesday.

“There’s no reason he won’t race,” Habermann said. “It hurt a bit and they checked it. There’s nothing wrong. He’s totally OK.”

U.S. Ski Team Alpine director Jesse Hunt said he had no problem with Miller shooting hoops during the Olympics.

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“The guys are playing games all the time — soccer, basketball,” Hunt said. “You need to do that.”

Miller has failed to finish five of seven World Cup slaloms this season and was disqualified in the first slalom leg of the Olympic combined event he was leading. His last slalom victory was Dec. 13, 2004, on the hill he will ski Saturday.

In his first four men’s Alpine races, Miller finished fifth in the downhill, was disqualified from the combined after straddling a gate, failed to finish the super-G after slamming into a gate and tied for sixth place in the giant slalom.

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