Bode Miller has announced his decision to hang up his skis for the remainder of the 2009 World Cup season.

The defending overall World Cup champion had already pulled out of the Kvitfjell meet this weekend due to a persistent ankle injury.

However, the 31-year-old American has declared that not only will he skip the three speed events in Norway but also the Finals in Are, Sweden which take place the following week.

He said: "I am going to take the rest of the season off. Due to a number of factors, it makes sense to call it a season.

"I came into the season excited, with my mental and physical intensity where I wanted it to be. I had speed and raced hard all season but it didn't translate into the results we were hoping for.

"I have been racing World Cup for a while and need a break. At this time I find more happiness doing other things than being on tour."

Despite his worst-ever World Cup season, his 517 points have come without a single victory, Miller stopped short of announcing a complete retirement from the sport.

He added: "In terms of retirement, I have not yet made any decisions."

The four-times World Champion first put a halt to his 2008/09 campaign following disappointment at the World Championships at Val d'Isère in February, where he finished only two of the five races, 12th in the Super-G and eighth in the downhill.

Miller was trailing World Cup downhill standings leader Michael Walchofer by a slender 35 points and with three races still remaining in the season, the U.S. skier was in the running to become the first American to claim the title in the discipline that slipped out of his grasp by a handful of points both in 2005 and last season.

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