ST MORITZ, Switzerland (Reuters) - American Bode Miller captured his first career gold Thursday by winning the combined for his second medal in two races at the Alpine skiing world championships. Miller wept tears of joy after racing to victory by just seven hundredths of a second for an aggregate time of three minutes 18.41 seconds from the one downhill and two slalom races.

Miller

The 25-year-old's victory after his silver medal in the super-G makes him the most successful skier so far at this two-week skiing extravaganza and means the American team has one more medal than mighty Austria after three events. "Being on top in such a tight competition is a great success. There was quite a big gap after the downhill so I just decided to go for it, and that's what I did," said Miller.

 Miller

The Norwegian veteran duo of Lasse Kjus and Kjetil Andre Aamodt, who between them have monopolized the all round event in recent years, took silver and bronze in a thrilling competition that saw the top four separated by just 0.18 seconds.

The two also both equaled Marc Girardelli's record haul of 11 world championship medals. Aamodt, already the most decorated skier, has now amassed a record 18 world and Olympic medals.

"The course was very twisty and it was tiring. Sometimes I had the feeling I was standing still. I had not really expected this after a difficult season," Kjus, the combined champion from the 1993 Morioka world championships, said.

Aamodt said he was not disappointed to lose out on gold by just 13 hundredths of a second.

Kjetil Andre Aamodt

"A medal is a medal -- I'm very happy," the 31-year-old Aamodt said after just missing out becoming the first skier to win gold at four consecutive world championships.

"I felt a bit tired after the downhill. The slalom course was not very demanding. Maybe I should have taken more risks," he added.

MILLER SHOW

But the day belonged to Miller, a gifted technical skier who this season has transformed into a racer capable of winning in each of Alpine skiing's five disciplines.

The Americans, like the Norwegians, thrive on the big occasion. Miller's team mates Kirsten Clark and Jonna Mendes clinched silver and bronze in the super-G, giving the United States four overall.

"Once your momentum starts building like that, you know, we all feel good, we want to race our hardest here," Miller said of team dynamics. "When you've got a team feeling like that, it's contagious."

Only 17th in the downhill and almost three seconds behind pace-setter Kjus, Miller unleashed his all-or-nothing style to move up into fourth position after the first slalom leg raced through gusty conditions down the Engiadina course.

Just like in Salt Lake City where he erased his massive deficit from the downhill, Miller went full throttle in the decisive final leg to lay down the gauntlet to the top three.

Aksel Lund Svindal

"To be on the podium with these two great champions is special as they have dominated the sport," he said in reference to the plundering Norwegians who have hitherto shared the combined bounty between themselves.

Miller compared the situation with Sunday, where he shared the podium with Austrians Stephan Eberharter and Hermann Maier.

"In the super-G I was on the podium with the champions of the sport, the dominant force, and today I'm with these guys who have been untouchable," Miller said.

"They're the greatest champions in this event so I feel really honored to be on the podium with them," the racer from Franconia, New Hampshire added. Kjus, who has been struggling all season in slalom with a best placing of 22nd on the World Cup, squandered his cushion of 1.35 seconds over Miller going into the final leg.

Benjamin Raich

There was disappointment for success-spoilt Austria, who failed to make the podium for the first time in three events. Benjamin Raich looked set for giving Austria their third gold in a row after standing in second position before the final run.

But the double bronze medallist from the Salt Lake Games slid off course on the steep upper section, dashing his medal hopes.

Frenchman Pierrick Bourgeat swallowed a bitter-sweet moment. As a pure slalom racer contesting his first downhill ever, he missed out on his first medal by a maddening five hundredths of a second.

"I'm disappointed because I came so close, but on the other hand I've never skied the downhill so to finish just behind the top guys is great."

The men are back in medal action Saturday for the blue-riband downhill, while the women compete Sunday. Friday is reserved for the final training run.

By Julia Ferguson
Reuters, 06.02.2003

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