BORMIO, ( 29/01/2005 13:17 ) Italy (AP) _ American Bode Miller won the gold medal in the men's super-G Saturday despite nearly jumping off the course midway through his run in the opening event of the alpine skiing world championships. Miller, who plans to race all six events at the worlds, covered the Stelvio course in 1 minute, 27.55 seconds. Michael Walchhofer of Austria, the only skier faster than Miller at the final checkpoint, won the silver medal, finishing 0.14 seconds behind. Walchhofer's teammate, Benjamin Raich, who is second to Miller in the overall World Cup standings, took the bronze, 0.68 back. Another Austrian, Hermann Maier, finished fourth at a gap of 0.85. Having started the race faster than anyone else, Miller flew further than any other skier on the race's longest jump. He landed outside the blue lines marking the course and had to immediately change direction at full speed to make it past the next gate.
Miller began the season on a roll, piling up six victories in the first 10 races, but he had not won since. His last victory came in a night slalom in Sestriere on Dec. 13. "It feels good. It has been a while," Miller said. "It wasn't the best of runs, but when I came down and crossed the finish I thought I would be lucky to hang on to a top-three. I was surprised to have won." Miller normally focuses more on skiing well than posting a good result. "But sometimes you just have to take the result. On a day where no one had a perfect run and you were the best, it's still a good feeling," he said. At the previous worlds in St. Moritz in 2003, Miller tied for second with Maier behind super-G winner Stephan Eberharter, an Austrian who retired after last season. The victory earned Miller his sixth medal in world championships or Olympics.
"It's a world championships medal and it's always worth something," Miller said. Teammate Daron Rahlves, the 2001 super-G world champion, came 10th. The race lived up to its billing as a duel between the Austrians and Americans, with the elite portion coming down to the final five skiers, all from the two countries. Raich started No. 26 and posted the fastest time to that point, despite also struggling on the long jump. Then came Miller, showing his usual unorthodox, flailing form but skiing far faster than anyone else all the way through. Walchhofer was next and held a 0.04-second lead on Miller at the final split, but had a slight slip-up in the final section. "Today was really close, I'm so happy because my super-G is never as good as my downhill," said Walchhofer, who will defend his downhill world title next Saturday. "It was important _ two medals _ there is a lot of pressure in Austria for skiing." Rahlves started 29th and was behind by the first checkpoint, only to lose more time. Maier, who won a super-G in Kitzbuehel on Monday for his 21st World Cup win in his favorite discipline, was the final top skier out of the starting hut. He was in position for a podium finish at the last split, but he also lost time in the race's final meters, which included a jump that skiers land just before the finish line. The women's super-G will be held Sunday in nearby Santa Caterina Valfurva.  

FIS ALPINE WORLD SKI CHAMPIONSHIPS
Bormio 2005 Lombardia
A ceremony full of emotion
The Opening Ceremony officially
set off the World Championships
 
Lights, colours, emotions. Choreographics, dances, music. Fireworks, national teams and ski champions. The Opening Ceremony, which begun at 18.00 h in Bormio, was an enjoyable performance. After the presentation of the teams and the words of the President of the Regione Lombardia Roberto Formigoni, FIS President Gianfranco Kaspar officially declared the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships Bormio 2005 Lombardia open.

Right afterwards, the finish area of the Stelvio slope has been transformed into a stage for the gymnasts and the worldwide representatives of the peoples of the mountains: Apache, Cree, Aztecs and Incas. The slope has been illuminated while Deborah Compagnoni, godmother of the World Championships, skied down with prestine bows. While there still has been light and, the colours of an extraordinary fireworks initiated the 29th edition of Alpine World Ski Championships.

Bormio opens its doors to the world
The World Championships are about to start
 
Everything is ready for the arrival of the international delegations who will participate at the Alpine World Ski Championships. A historical event for the upper Valtellina valley, vor the Region of Lombardy and even for the entire country of Italy.

One of the most important sport events of the year is about to begin, and it will take place in great scenic environment. The necessary infrastructure has been completed in record time order to offer all fans and guests an ideal environmet to follow the performance of the athletes coming from every part of the world. These World Championships will be an anthem to the ski sport, which unites passion for nature and excitement of the competitions.

Shortly, 450 athletes will compete for 33 precious medals.

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