drjeff
Well-known member
BORMIO, Italy - Bode Miller was assured of his second overall World Cup title in four years after his closest challenger decided not to ski in one of the final two races of the season.
Didier Cuche was not going to compete in the season’s final slalom, Swiss team spokeswoman Kristina Schneider said Thursday. Cuche, a speed specialist who won the downhill season title over Miller earlier this week, doesn’t race the slalom.
Miller declined to speak to reporters at the finish line.
Miller, who also won the overall in 2005, set the United States up to sweep the men’s and women’s overall World Cup titles for the first time in 25 years.
Now all Lindsey Vonn has to do is make sure she keeps some of her 157-point lead over Maria Riesch of Germany and Americans will take both championships for the first time since Phil Mahre and Tamara McKinney won in 1983.
Hannes Reichelt of Austria won the final Super-G race of the season to clinch the World Cup title in the discipline by one point over Cuche, who won the downhill season crown.
Miller missed out on one last chance at the downhill title when bad weather prevented the season’s last race from being run, allowing Cuche to keep his lead.
On Thursday, Reichelt won the Super-G by the slimmest of margins, beating Didier Defago of Switzerland by 0.01 seconds, giving him 341 points in seven Super-G races this season. Cuche finished 16th, one spot out of the points.
Miller had a safe run to clock 1:46.01, extending his lead with a 12th-place finish.
Didier Cuche was not going to compete in the season’s final slalom, Swiss team spokeswoman Kristina Schneider said Thursday. Cuche, a speed specialist who won the downhill season title over Miller earlier this week, doesn’t race the slalom.
Miller declined to speak to reporters at the finish line.
Miller, who also won the overall in 2005, set the United States up to sweep the men’s and women’s overall World Cup titles for the first time in 25 years.
Now all Lindsey Vonn has to do is make sure she keeps some of her 157-point lead over Maria Riesch of Germany and Americans will take both championships for the first time since Phil Mahre and Tamara McKinney won in 1983.
Hannes Reichelt of Austria won the final Super-G race of the season to clinch the World Cup title in the discipline by one point over Cuche, who won the downhill season crown.
Miller missed out on one last chance at the downhill title when bad weather prevented the season’s last race from being run, allowing Cuche to keep his lead.
On Thursday, Reichelt won the Super-G by the slimmest of margins, beating Didier Defago of Switzerland by 0.01 seconds, giving him 341 points in seven Super-G races this season. Cuche finished 16th, one spot out of the points.
Miller had a safe run to clock 1:46.01, extending his lead with a 12th-place finish.
