Miller Wins, Nears DH Cup Lead
KVITFJELL, Norway (March 1) - Bode Miller (Bretton Woods, NH) held the lead the entire length of the Olympiabakken downhill Saturday to win a U.S. record 31st World Cup. The victory, his sixth of the season, moved him within five points of World Cup downhill leader Didier Cuche of Switzerland, who finished second, for the downhill lead with one race remaining.
Miller also gained 100 points in the overall World Cup chase as Austrian Benni Raich failed to finish. Americans Steven Nyman (Provo, UT) and Marco Sullivan (Squaw Valley, CA) also went out. With seven World Cup races remaining, Miller has 1,283 points to 1,118 for Raich.
"Bode put the heat on Cuche for the downhill title and he put the heat on Raich for the overall. Bormio [Italy, site of the March 12-16 World Cup Finals] is going to be exciting," said Speed Head Coach Chris Brigham.
"Nyman had some trouble at the top, but skied the middle pretty well before going out at the bottom and Sullivan had a decent run going before he crashed about the same spot as Nyman went out," he said.
Sullivan remains fourth in the downhill standings, despite crashing for the second consecutive day. He is five points in front of Italian Werner Heel, who was third Saturday after winning the Val d'Isere make-up race on Friday for his first World Cup podium.
"Marco was a little banged up after yesterday's crash and now he's a little bit more banged up, but he should be fine for tomorrow's super G. He was squished going into a compression at the bottom of the course and was sent into the net. He'll be OK," added Brigham.
Sullivan has two downhill podiums this season with a win in Chamonix, France, and a second in Lake Louise, Alberta.
WCSN.com will have webstreaming available of Saturday's downhill at 1 p.m. ET with recovering U.S. Ski Team athlete Scott Macartney (Crystal Mountain, WA) providing commentary along with former racer Steve Porino.
WCSN also will carry coverage of the super G with streaming set to begin at 1 p.m. ET. Live interval timing also will be available.
OFFICIAL RESULTS
2008 AUDI FIS ALPINE WORLD CUP
Kvitfjell, NOR - March 1, 2008
Men's Downhill
1. Bode Miller, Bretton Woods, NH, 1:46.16
2. Didier Cuche, Switzerland, 1:46.56
3. Werner Heel, Italy, 1:46.91
4. Klaus Kroell, Austria, 1:46.92
5. Manuel Osborne-Paradis, Canada, 1:46.97
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