For the week of December 24 - 30, 2002

Bode serves notice 
with GS victory

Miller in hunt for World Cup crown

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A skier with a championship heart sent a championship message Sunday on the slopes of Alta Badia, Italy.

New Hampshire’s Bode Miller, 25, triumphed in a close and exciting World Cup giant slalom Sunday—his first GS victory in a year and the fifth World Cup victory of his career.

First-run leader Miller powered through softer snow on the final run and won by 1.06 seconds. He said, "This was definitely one of my hardest fights. I was a bit tired after Saturday’s downhill but I wanted it today."

With the 100-point win, Miller moved into second place in the overall World Cup standings after 13 races with 433 points. He trails Austria’s Olympic champion Stephan Eberharter (548), who injured his knee in the Val d’Isere GS Dec. 15.

Miller, 19th in Saturday’s downhill at Val Gardena, Italy, even acknowledged what everybody has already figured out. Miller, the Olympic combined and GS silver medalist in Utah in 2002, said he is becoming more of a four-event skier.

U.S. Ski Team men’s head coach Phil McNichol said, "This was a helluva Christmas present. Bode has that ability to lift the entire team. He’s definitely on his game in GS and his slalom will get there. He skied smart today and got the win."

In other pre-holiday races:

Daron Rahlves was 11th and Marco Sullivan 14th in Saturday’s Val Gardena DH; and, in Friday’s super giant slalom, Miller attacked from the back and tied for sixth while Squaw Valley’s Sullivan was 15th.

Sizzling-hot U.S. women’s team racer Kirsten Clark earned her second podium in three DHs this season with a third in Saturday’s speed race at Lenzerheide, Switz. Clark (355 points) stands sixth in the 14-race overall behind Janica Kostelic (775).

Kostelic won Sunday’s slalom and combined. The Americans did well in the gates, with Sarah Schleper seventh and Kristina Koznick 10th.

But the big American story was 17-year-old Resi Stiegler of Jackson Hole, Wyo.

The daughter of 1964 Olympic SL gold medalist Pepi Stiegler, in only her second World Cup, started 61st and placed a stunning 11th overall with the fourth-fastest second run.

In the Lenzerheide women’s combined Julia Mancuso was fifth, Caroline Lalive eighth and Clark 14th.

The World Cup men travel to Bormio, Italy for a post-Christmas downhill Dec. 29, then move to Slovenia for GS and SL Jan. 4-5. Next women’s races are Dec. 28-29 in Semmering, Aust. with GS and SL.

 

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