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Double overall World Cup winner Bode Miller has returned to the United States alpine skiing team, seeking nothing more than a fresh start and a chance to win an Olympic gold medal.

Miller, who has spent his career challenging the ski racing establishment, displayed none of his usual rebelliousness as the US ski team warmly welcomed back the man who walked away from them two years ago to start his own one-man team.

"I don't think this is an arena for me to apologise about stuff," Miller said. "That stuff will come out as it does.

"I think my actions are going to speak much more loudly than any apology can.

"Apologies come off like you're just trying to smooth things out I think your actions carry a lot more weight."

One of the sport's most charismatic characters, Miller's approach to the sport won him an American record 31 World Cup races, four world championships gold medals, two overall World Cup titles and legions of fans.

But Miller's behaviour away from the mountain earned him few friends among the IOC, International Ski Federation, WADA and the US ski association.

In an interview with American television program 60 Minutes, Miller shocked officials when he admitted to skiing "wasted" then courted more controversy when he said he was in favour of liberalising anti-doping rules.

Miller further strained his relationship with the US ski team when he insisted on travelling the World Cup in his own motor home that became known as the "Bode-mobile".

When he failed to win a medal at the 2006 Turin Winter Games, Miller shrugged off criticism by saying he got to party Olympic style, which embarrassed the IOC and drew the wrath of the United States Olympic Committee.

Miller has never found much success at the Olympic, winning just two silver medals at Salt Lake City in 2002 while he failed to reach the podium in five events in Turin in 2006.

During the build-up to Turin, Miller dismissed the Olympics as unimportant to the point he said he had not decided whether he would compete or go on vacation.

But the 31-year-old American expressed a dramatically different view ahead of next year's Vancouver Games.

"The opportunity to perform at your highest level you need the support of a situation that will allow you that level of inspiration and the Olympics stand alone in that regard," Miller said.

"World Cup is great and I have been able to get some performances out of myself that I have been surprised by but there is no comparison to the energy and atmosphere surrounding the Olympics.

"I am looking forward to hopefully being able to perform at my very highest level in that atmosphere that is a unique opportunity.

"You just can't get enough of those."

Reuters