L a t e s t  n e w s ..... Heel wins Super G in Val Gardena with Defago and Jaerbyn on the podium ... Paerson wins Super combined from Hosp and Suter ... Walchhofer retains King of the Hill in Downhill, Miller 2 and Osborne Paradis 3 ... Gut wins Super G in St Moritz from Suter and Fanchini

'The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams' (Eleanor Roosevelt).

It's Miller Time!  But don't tell the Austrians!

American Bode Miller came up trumps when it mattered most: At the World Championships.  The American did not feel great coming out of the start and even missed his pole plant as he left the start, "and that is never a good sign for me," he admitted later.  With Bormio having missed the snow storms that affected most of the Alps last week and the crowds not coming to see the first day of the World Championships, there was a fairly flat atmosphere.  The atmosphere may have been flat but the racing was anything but.  The top Super G racers were on the start list yet despite the lengthening injury lists, most nations were at full strength.  "Super G with its one inspection and one run is the hardest of all the disciplines," claimed Miller in the post race press conference.  With Miller taking Gold, having taken silver (joint with Maier two years ago behind Eberharter), the rest were left to scrap for the other two medals.  In the end they were won by Walchhofer in silver and Raich in bronze ahead of pre race favourite Hermann Maier.

Miller's run was extraordinary, given the fact he almost fell out of the start gate.  Although he felt good in the start hut, Miller stumbled out of the start gate and was not as smooth as he likes to be.  From there he had to be aggressive and yet by the San Pedro jump he made another mistake that took him off course slightly.  With Benni Raich also making the same mistake, this was a course that was not as easy as some had predicted.  Miller with the two major mistakes did not think that he had done enough to win a place on the podium, let alone win outright.  "I knew I had skied well in stretches but did not think that i had done enough to win," Miller later admitted.  "After the San Pedro jump to the finish, I had to ski super aggressive," the American admitted, "but I was happy with the way it went."

Florian Eckert and then Marco Buechel had both laid claim to a podium finish but with six racers to go, most knew that the podium placings would come from these racers.  Four Austrians and two Americans comprised the last 6.  The first of them down was Stefan Goergl, the first man to beat Miller this year.  Despite being level with Buechel at the first split, Goergl drifted away and by the end was an also ran drifting in in 21st place.  Benni Raich was next and he took the lead though it did not last long as Miller just shattered and destroyed his time by 0.68.  This was now turning into a race that was worthy of being called a world championship.  Next down was the third of the Austrians, Michael Walchhofer.  Walchhofer was close in to Miller at the first split and by the third split was in front by 0.04seconds. While Miller had been super quick through the final turns and run into the finish, the Austrian was just off the pace and unluckily for him he this was the section he was not as quick as he could have been.  Walchhofer still managed to stay ahead of Raich and placed second behind Miller.

This left Daron Rahlves and Herman Maier still to go.  Rahlves has been struggling since the massive fall he had at Adelboden and although the mind overcame the damage to body in Kitzbuehel, he just was not on pace at all.  1.70 seconds out and Rahlves would eventually finish in 10th place, this was a far cry from the man who had won in St Anton in 2001.  Maier fared little better.  He may have won in Kitzbuehel but the World's are another matter: Maier did not have the screaming Austrian's lining the course willing him on, this was an empty course with an almost empty finish arena awaiting.  From the off Maier was fighting for a medal.  By the last split bronze was the best he could hope for as Walchhofer and Miller were just too far infront.  In the end it was 4th place that the great Austrian took.  Disappointment for him as he had been hoping to add to the silver he won two years ago, it was not to be.

For the British racers, yes racers as there were two racers in the Super G for the first time since 1996 in Sierra Nevada, it was a day of mixed results.  Finlay Mickel put in a performance that was equal with racers with more experience and Super G nous to improve his own Best British Super G result at the World Championships to 23rd.  "I put in some great turns," the Scot said.  For more on the British reaction click here.  Mickel came in 23rd and Cruickshank, in his first World Championships, came 41st.

Finlay's reaction

Roger's reaction