Miller Takes Second in Giant Slalom

Benjamin Raich of Austria had two almost flawless runs Friday to edge Bode Miller of the U.S. and win a World Cup giant slalom at Kranjska Gora, Slovenia.

Raich, second in Thursday’s giant slalom, got his first victory of the season by finishing in a combined time of 2 minutes 7.46 seconds.

Miller, of Franconia, N.H., was second in 2:07.88, followed by Didier Cuche of Switzerland (2:08.70).

“I attacked the course in the first run. I went out to be more aggressive. [Thursday] I was too passive,” Miller said. “After the first run, I thought I had a good chance at it, but Bennie was too tough.”

Miller has won giant slalom and slalom races this season and is second in the overall standings behind Austria’s Stephan Eberharter.

Miller is mentioned as a medal favorite for the Salt Lake City Games in February.

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Joey Cheek extended his speedskating dominance while Chris Witty lost a bit of hers with a third-place finish in the women’s 1,000 meters.

Cheek won the men’s 1,000 at the U.S. Olympic trials at Kearns, Utah, finishing in 1:08.04.

It was the third victory this week for Cheek, a former inline skater from Greensboro, N.C. He set an American record in the 500 and also claimed the top spot in the 1,500 Wednesday.

In women’s competition, Witty settled for third in the 1,000 with a time of 1:16.61--0.69 of a second behind winner Amy Sannes of St. Paul, Minn.

In short-track competition, Apolo Anton Ohno set an American record of 41.628 seconds in the 500.

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Jean Racine won the first of two races at Olympic Park in Park City, Utah, in the drive to determine the U.S. women’s bobsled team.

Eight days ago Racine suddenly dropped longtime brakeman Jen Davidson for Gea Johnson in a bid to improve her start time.

Driver Todd Hays and brakeman Pavle Jovanovic easily won the men’s event with a two-run combined time of 1:37.00.

Brian Shimmer, bidding for a berth in a fifth consecutive Olympics, stood second with a combined time of 1:37.29.

Jeff Greenwood of Hartford, Conn., clinched a spot on the U.S. Olympic snowboard team by winning the second of five qualifying rounds of a parallel giant slalom competition on the Olympic course at Park City.

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Jon Myles of Rumney, N.H., and Nick Sullivan of Oakdale, Minn., will participate in a race-off to determine the winner of the last spot on the U.S. men’s luge team. They will race three heats Jan. 5 and Jan. 6 at Park City and will count their best runs.

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Figure skater Naomi Nari Nam of Irvine, who missed last season and this season because of a hip injury, will resume full-time training next week, according to her coach John Nicks.

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Continuing his domination of World Cup ski jumping, Poland’s Adam Malysz scored his fifth victory this season by taking the individual K120 event in Predazzo, Italy.

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Sylviane Berthod edged Isolde Kostner of Italy at St. Moritz, Switzerland, to win a downhill in her home country for her first World Cup skiing victory.