Raich Wins in Austria; Miller Misses Chance

Benjamin Raich of Austria won a giant slalom Saturday in a World Cup event at Flachau, Austria, that Bode Miller was in position to win before skidding off the course.

Raich, who won for the first time in more than two years, rallied from second place after the opening leg. His two-run time was 2 minutes 22.54 seconds.

Massimiliano Blardone of Italy, who led after the first run, was second in 2:23.24. Bjarne Solbakken of Norway was third in 2:23.36. The top U.S. skier was Dane Spencer of Boise, Idaho, in 18th place.

Miller, of Bretton Woods, N.H., third in the first leg, skied off course during the second run after leading by 0.70 seconds at the final split.

Runner-up to Austria’s Stephan Eberharter in the overall World Cup standings last season, Miller fell in the season-opening slalom at Park City, Utah.

He also failed to complete three straight races in Vail, Colo., last month and did not qualify for the second leg of a slalom two weeks ago in Madonna di Campiglio, Italy.

Miller still leads the giant slalom standings but is 10th in the overall World Cup standings. Hermann Maier leads that category, two points ahead of Austrian countryman Hans Knauss.

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Olympic Alpine skiing champion Janica Kostelic of Croatia will skip the World Cup season because of thyroid and knee problems.

Kostelic has had four knee operations in the last 10 months, the most recent one in October. The defending World Cup champion disclosed her thyroid condition in November.

She was on the slopes Dec. 16 at Madonna di Campiglio, Italy, as a forerunner, a skier who tests the course. That worsened her knee problem and she canceled another appearance as a forerunner the next day.

Kostelic became the first Alpine skier to win four medals at a single Olympics, taking three golds and a silver at the Salt Lake City Games.

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Two-time Olympian Carl Swenson of Boulder, Colo., returning to the course where he skied as a youngster, won his ninth U.S. cross-country title at Rumford, Maine.

On the first day of the U.S. Cross Country Championships, Swenson finished the 30-kilometer race in 1 hour 16 minutes 49.1 seconds. Lars Flora of Anchorage, Alaska, another 2002 Olympian, was second in 1:17.49.5.

Rebecca Dussault of Gunnison, Colo., won the women’s 15-kilometer classic-style race in 46:22.1. Wendy Wagner of Park City, Utah, was second in 47:42.1.

Baseball

The New York Mets reached a preliminary agreement with free-agent reliever Braden Looper on a two-year, $6.75-million contract.

Looper, 29, had 28 saves for the World Series champion Florida Marlins last season.

The Mets would not confirm the deal but said they had asked the right-hander to take a physical early next week, usually the last step before finalizing a contract.

A baseball source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, confirmed the preliminary agreement.

The Mets, who have finished last in the National League East the last two seasons, had been looking for a closer since trading Armando Benitez to the New York Yankees on July 16.

Hockey

The U.S. advanced to the final of the world junior championships by defeating Finland, 2-1, at Helsinki. The Americans will play for the gold medal Monday against Canada, which beat the Czech Republic, 7-1, in the other semifinal.

Stephen Werner gave the U.S. a 1-0 lead with a short-handed goal eight minutes into the game. Daniel Fritsche gave the Americans a 2-0 lead on a breakaway in the third period.

Boxing

Pongsaklek Wonjongkam of Thailand retained his World Boxing Council flyweight title with a unanimous decision over Masaki Nakanuma of Japan at Yokohama, Japan.

Acelino Freitas of Brazil knocked down Artur Grigorian four times and won the WBO lightweight title in a unanimous decision at Mashantucket, Conn.

Masamori Tokuyama of Japan retained his WBC super-flyweight title with a unanimous decision over Dimitri Kirilov of Russia at Osaka, Japan. Also on the card, Alexander Munoz of Venezuela knocked out Eiji Kojima of Japan in the 10th round to win the World Boxing Assn. super-flyweight title.

T.J. Simers is on vacation.