Bode Miller, the U.S. Olympic skier, dedicated his bronze medal win over the weekend in the men’s super-G at the Sochi 2014 Games to his late brother Chelone Miller. After the race, NBC’s Christin Cooper's series of questions regarding “Chilly” caused the Olympian to break down into tears.

Bode Miller Cries In Post-Race Interview

At 36-years-old, Miller became the oldest Alpine Olympic medalist in history. It wasn’t that fact that Cooper wanted to discuss, however. She wanted Miller to talk about the loss of his brother in April 2013, and how that impacted his performance on the slopes. After a couple of leading questions, Miller admitted that this Olympics – and this medal – meant something more to him due to his brother’s unexpected passing.

“This was a little different. You know with my brother passing away, I really wanted to come back here and race the way he sensed it,” he said. “ This one is different.”

Cooper pressed on, “Bode, you're showing so much emotion down here, what's going through your mind?”

“Um, I mean, a lot,” Miller replied, getting visibly upset. “Obviously just a long struggle coming in here. It's just a tough year.

“I know you wanted to be here with Chilly, really experiencing these Games,” Cooper continued. “How much does this mean to you to come up with this great performance for him? And was it for him?"

Miller replied, growing more uncomfortable and emotional, “I don't know if it's really for him but I wanted to come here and, I dunno, make myself proud, but …"

Christen Cooper Presses Miller On Brother's Death

Instead of taking the cue to cease her line of questioning, Cooper asked another question in the hopes that Miller would continue to talk about his brother. “When you're looking up in the sky at the start, we see you there and it looks like you're talking to somebody. What's going on there?” she asked.

Unable to answer the prying question, Miller leaned on the barricade with his head on top of his arms, crying. He then walked away, stopped and crouched down, trying to pull himself together. The camera continued following the skier as he made his way down the path to his wife, whom he embraced.

After NBC aired the interview, and Miller’s subsequent emotional departure, viewers took to Twitter to express their outrage over the exchage, including Hockey player Mike Eruzione and Sage Rosenfels.

Miller & NBC News Respond To Public Outrage

Miller, for his part, appreciates the support he’s been receiving, but also asks that people give Cooper a break.

Due to the significant public outcry, NBC has released a statement in their defense. "We understand how some viewers thought the line of questioning went too far,” the statement read. “But it was our judgment that his answers were a necessary part of the story.”

– Chelsea Regan

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