Miller Turning U.S. Into a World Power

Bode Miller hoped to win a bronze medal in the giant slalom at the Alpine World Ski Championships, picturing the symmetry of owning a bronze to go with his gold and silver medals.

But the daredevil from Franconia, N.H., outdid himself Wednesday by winning his second gold medal, becoming the first U.S. man to win three medals at a World Championship and boosting the U.S. team’s medal total to a record of six.

Fourth after the first run, Miller pulled out a typically bold second run on the sunny course at St. Moritz, Switzerland, to win with a combined time of 2 minutes 45.93 seconds. Austria’s Hans Knauss was second, .03 of a second behind Miller, and Erik Schlopy of Park City, Utah, soared from 23rd to finish third at 2:45.97.

“That second run,” Schlopy said, “is my gold medal.”

Miller, who last week won the combined event and tied for silver in the super-giant slalom, didn’t mind missing out on that set of three medals.

“Having two Americans on the podium makes up for it,” he told the enthusiastic crowd of about 25,000. “I had to attack, to take all risks on that second run. It was so tough. I was completely tired at the bottom.”

The U.S. men’s four medals, plus the silver and bronze in the women’s super-G won by Kirsten Clark of Raymond, Maine, and Jonna Mendes of Heavenly, Calif., have made this the best U.S. performance at this event. The previous best was five, set in 1982 at Schladming, Austria. “I wouldn’t have said it was a failure if we had just Bode on the podium today,” men’s head coach Phil McNichol said.

Miller, who surpassed the two World Championship medals won by Billy Kidd (1964 and 1970) and Phil Mahre (1980), trailed Knauss, Benjamin Rauch of Austria and Michael von Gruenigen of Switzerland after the first run.

“It was really a little bit disturbing to know that [Knauss] was that much better than me,” Miller said. “In the second run I skied, I thought, unbelievable, and lost a second to Erik. So it was a little disappointing in that aspect, but I couldn’t be on the podium with two better guys.”

Miller, a graduate of the Carrabasset Valley Ski Academy in Maine, has bunked with Schlopy for the last five years, four in an Austrian farmhouse and this season in an apartment near Innsbruck. Schlopy, 30, left the U.S. ski team for three seasons to race professionally before returning in 1998.

“To have Erik come out and put down a run like that in the second run at the World Championships, and have our first double podium -- we’ve been talking about that for five years now -- and to have it happen today is just amazing,” Miller said.

“It’s the most important medal of my life, sharing it with Erik. The best race of my life.”

Schlopy’s success was a surprise. He had never won a World Cup race and had two runner-up finishes in 2001 as his best results. Inspired Wednesday by Miller, Schlopy let everything rip in his second run, and he was rewarded.

“When I came out of the gate, I wasn’t thinking, ‘I’ve got to win by 1.55 seconds to get a bronze medal,’ ” he said. “I wanted to go out and be in a way that I could leave the mountain today and be happy with the way I skied. It sort of freed my soul and I went out there and I was relaxed and I had a run I’ve been capable of having for a long time.

“It opened a door for me today of what’s possible.”

Two other U.S. skiers finished in the top 25. Daron Rahlves of Sugar Bowl, Calif., was 16th in 2:47.51, and Dane Spencer of Boise, Idaho, was 21st in 2:47.67.

Miller, who last season became the first U.S. skier to win World Cup giant slalom and slalom races since 1983 and won Olympic silver in the giant slalom and combined at Salt Lake City, could add to his medal haul in Sunday’s finale, the slalom. The medals he has already won, he said, “are going to sit there and wait for friends to join them. I’m starting quite a collection in my room right now.”

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Top Three

*--* 2:45.97 (1:20.68-1:25.29) Wednesday’s results in the men’s giant slalom at the World Ski Championships in St. Moritz, Switzerland: GOLD Bode Miller United States 2:45.93 (1:19.63-1:26.30) SILVER Hans Knauss Austria 2:45.96 (1:18.76-1:27.20) BRONZE Erik Schlopy United States

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