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**truebluefan** · 03-03-2008, 09:33 PM

KVITFJELL, Norway (Feb. 29) - Bode Miller (Bretton Woods, NH) extended his lead in the overall World Cup standings Friday finishing second in the first of two downhills on the 1994 Olympic hill and extending his lead in the overall World Cup standings. Steven Nyman (Provo, UT) was 14th and Marco Sullivan (Squaw Valley, CA) crashed, but was uninjured. Italian Werner Heel won the race for his career first World Cup podium.

Miller finished a .10 off the victory as Heel posted a winning time of 1:45.73 on the Olympiabakken course. It was a rescheduled downhill cancelled earlier this month from Val d'Isere, France, site of the 2009 FIS Alpine World Championships.

"It was a pretty good day," said Speed Head Coach Chris Brigham. "Steven skied the top really well and had a little difficulty on the bottom, but we'll take a look at the video and figure it out. Marco's a little banged up, but he'll be good to go for tomorrow. It was a great day for Bode getting 80 points to put some more room on Raich."

The podium moved Miller closer to overtaking World Cup downhill points leader Didier Cuche of Switzerland, who was sixth. It also boosted his lead to 125 points in the World Cup overall chase as Austrian Benni Raich failed to score after finishing outside the top 30.

Miller is now just 25 points behind Cuche in the downhill standings with 479 to Cuche's 504. With nine races remaining in the season, Miller has 1,183 points with 1,058 for Raich.

"I skied pretty well in sections, but was a little back," said Nyman, "It's only my second year here, so there's still some learning to do. I just need to nail the line and move over the terrain a bit better. The airs are pretty big too, we're getting 60 meters of air off the Russi jump - it's got some hops to it.

"The snow is good, the hill is fantastic and we got to run out of the top this year. Last year we had to start lower. I'm psyched we've got another run at it tomorrow."

Sullivan, who won the previous downhill in Chamonix, France, for his first World Cup victory said he's a little bruised, but will be ready to race on Saturday. Despite the fall, Sullivan remained fourth in the World Cup downhill standings with two DH's left on the calendar.

"I had a good run going, then I came off the first jump and hit some bumpy snow and got a little rattled, which pulled me low. Then I came over the next rise and the gate was right in front of me. My outside ski just hooked it and I took it right on the shin, it knocked me on the ground and I tumbled into the fence.

"I've got a big ol' ice bag on it now, but I should be ready to go tomorrow," he said.

U.S. men will have another crack at downhill on Saturday before switching to super G skis on Sunday, the last speed races before World Cup Finals March 12-16 in Bormio, Italy.

**truebluefan** · 03-03-2008, 09:34 PM

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

**truebluefan** · 03-03-2008, 09:37 PM

KVITFJELL, Norway (March 2) - World Cup overall leader Bode Miller (Bretton Woods, NH) added some distance on Swiss chaser Didier Cuche and Austrian Benni Raich after finishing second, .12 ahead of Cuche, in the Kvitfjell super G on the 1994 Olympic course.

The podium was Miller's third of the weekend as Austrian Georg Streitberger won with a time of 1:26.68, just .20 in front of Miller. Marco Sullivan (Squaw Valley, CA) was 17th and Steven Nyman (Provo, UT) 24th.

Fellow American Lindsey Vonn (Vail, CO) also leads the women's overall World Cup standings. It is the first time two U.S. skiers have held the position since Phil Mahre and Tamara McKinney captured the overall titles in 1983. Miller has already secured the super combined crystal globe, while Vonn locked the women's downhill title last weekend.

"It was a hell of a weekend for Bode. He's skiing with so much confidence right now and has put himself in a great position going into World Cup Finals. He wants that overall title and he wants the downhill title," said Speed Head Coach Chris Brigham.

"It was great to see Marco finish up there today too, he's pretty banged up after crashing in both downhills, but he did some work with Team physio [Paul Frankham] this morning and took advantage of an early starting spot to score some points."

Brigham was also pleased with Nyman's result saying he skied fast in a couple of sections and was in 10th going into the final split before making a small mistake on the bottom as clouds moved over the hill.

With six races remaining in the season, Miller has 1,363 points to 1,178 for Cuche, who took over second place after Saturday's downhill. Raich is third with 1,073. The World Cup now swings to Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, for a giant slalom and slalom, the final races before World Cup Finals scheduled for March 12-19 in Bormio, Italy.

"Cuche is going to have to ski some pretty spectacular GS next weekend and Benni knows he has to have two solid races to stay in it. Like I said yesterday, Bormio is going to be pretty exciting," said Brigham.

Going into Kranjska Gora, Ted Ligety (Park City, UT) is just 23 points behind Raich for the GS crystal globe. Ligety tied for fourth in GS at the Slovenian resort last season, just .05 off the podium and finished third in a slalom there in 2005 for the second World Cup podium of his career.

WCSN.com will have webstreaming available of Sunday's super G 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.

OFFICIAL RESULTS
2008 AUDI FIS ALPINE WORLD CUP
Kvitfjell, NOR - March 2, 2008
Men's super G

1. Georg Streitberger, Austria, 1:26.68
2. Bode Miller, Bretton Woods, NH, 1:26.88
3. Didier Cuche, Switzerland, 1:27.00
4T. Ambrosi Hoffmann, Switzerland, 1:27.10
4T. Robbie Dixon, Canada, 1:27.10
-
17. Marco Sullivan, Squaw Valley, CA, 1:27.66
24. Steven Nyman, Provo, UT, 1:27.93

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