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Kitz: Miller Wins U.S.-Record 28th
KITZBUEHEL, Austria (Jan. 20) - Bode Miller (Bretton Woods, NH) won a World Cup combined Sunday, making him the most successful U.S. ski racer with 28 World Cup victories - one more than three-time overall champion Phil Mahre. He also moved into second place in the overall standings. Ted Ligety (Park City, UT) was fifth in the combined and is sixth overall.
The win, based on his tie-for-second Saturday in the 68th Hahnenkamm downhill and 14th Sunday in a slalom, is Miller's first combined triumph in four years. His last win also came at Kitzbuehel.
Sunday's slalom - won by Jean-Baptiste Grange of France in 1:45.04 - was mixed with results of the 68th Hahnenkamm downhill from Saturday where Miller tied for second place. His combined time was 3:39.86, putting the Carrabassett Valley Academy grad 0.93 seconds ahead of Austrian Benjamin Raich. Ted Ligety (Park City, UT) finished eighth in the slalom, moving him up to fifth in the combined after being 43rd in the DH.
After 24 races, Raich has 860 points to 831 for Miller. Ligety has 517 in sixth place.
Overall, Miller has nine giant slalom victories plus six in downhill, five each in super G and slalom plus three in combined. Mahre, who retired after the 1984 season, won 11 combined calculations plus nine slaloms and seven giant slaloms.
"It's a nice record, something you dream about as a kid. As a professional skier, you're more focused on winning each individual race," Miller said.
"Before the season, it was my target to break that record and it's a really good feeling if you reach your goals."
Miller, whose slalom has been improving, came to Kitzbuehel with the possibility of three wins. "I end up with one [win] and a second place. I can't complain," he said.
His victory moved Miller into sole possession of eighth place overall among men. Swedish icon Ingemar Stenmark won 86 races (46 in GS, 40 in slalom), followed by Austrian Hermann Maier (53), Italian great Alberto Tomba (50), Marc Girardelli of Luxembourg (46), Swiss star Pirmin Zurbriggen (40), Raich (30) and Austrian Stephan Eberharter (29). Maier and Raich are still racing. Eight women have more than 28 wins, led by Austrian Annemarie Moser-Proell with 62 and Swiss Vreni Schneider at 55.
Ligety said he felt the impact of Saturday's downhill during his first run, but he upped his pace during the second run. "I was really tired and then I made three big mistakes in the second run, which hurt. But, overall, I'm really happy with my skiing.
"If you make a mistake on the bottom, before the flats, you're done. You can't get your speed back. Being fifth in this combined is a good result," the 2006 Olympic combined gold medalist said.
Two-time Olympian Scott Macartney (Crystal Mountain, WA), whose dramatic crash near the finish line Saturday put him in a hospital with a severe concussion, was reported in good spirits. Head Coach Phil McNichol went to the Innsbruck hospital Saturday night and again Sunday morning. He said Macartney was disappointed about not finishing the race but, after returning to the United States for further medical treatment, was looking to return to racing as soon as he could.
The men's World Cup tour heads next to Schladming for its annual nighttime slalom Tuesday, which normally attracts more than 50,000 wildly happy fans. The first run begins at noon ET and WCSN.com will webstream live coverage. Interval live timing also will be available beginning at noon ET.
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Kitz: Miller Wins U.S.-Record 28th
