Alpine World Cup Finals: Miller and Rahlves go 1-2 as Svindal nabs SG title

Alpine World Cup Finals: Miller and Rahlves go 1-2 as Svindal nabs SG titleARE, Sweden – Bode Miller and Daron Rahlves took the top two places in an ultra-competitive super G at the World Cup Finals on Thursday. Eight men entered the race in contention for the title, and Aksel Lund Svindal of Norway, in third place, walked away with it.

Miller said the win came from skiing the exact way he did in the Olympic super G last month.

“I hooked a knee [there] because I was skiing really aggressively, and that easily could have happened today, and what happened today could have happened there,” said Miller, who made big mistakes and flattened gates with his forearm.

It was Miller’s second podium in two days; he was runner-up in the previous day’s downhill.

It was the 28th podium in the World Cup career of Daron Rahlves, who is retiting after this week.

John McBride, the coach of the U.S. speed team, said he was leaving the U.S. team’s staff, along with one of his assistant coaches, Pete Bosinger, following this season.

Rahlves called the one-two finish a “retirement present” for McBride.

The race was reminiscent of Miller’s dramatic tie with Rahlves at last year’s final super G, which resulted in Miller’s taking the title from the hands of Hermann Maier of Austria.

Svindal was third, which was enough to steal the World Cup super G title by just two points over Maier.

“I’m not too upset,” said Maier, who could have gotten the title if he’d been nine-hundredths of a second faster. “The hundredths of a second have not been on my side all season. I’ve been fighting hard, but I tried maybe too much. It wasn’t fast because I was fighting so hard.”

It was the final World Cup race of Lasse Kjus’s illustrious career, and Kjus celebrated in the finish with oysters, champagne and cake.

“It’s kind of symbolic that I won the super G title today,” said Svindal, asked about Kjus’s retirement. “I would love him to go on forever.”

Miller, who said he had used Kjus as a role model, echoed the praise. “He’s always really smooth, and the intensity he brings without looking like he’s actually freaking out or spazzing out,” said Miller.

Last year, Miller became the first American in 22 years to win the overall World Cup title (click here for the story), taking home the most prestigious trophy in the sport. This year, Benni Raich has already clinched it.

This is the sixth time Rahlves and Miller have shared the top steps of the podium. Last year they tied for the win in the Lenzerheide super G, and went one-two in both the World Championship downhill in Bormio and the Birds of Prey downhill. Earlier this season, Rahlves made Miller the runner-up at Beaver Creek’s downhill and Miller reversed that order in the next day’s giant slalom .

“It takes a skier that’s smart and tactically … super G is the toughest event because you have one inspection and the [the race],” Rahlves said. “It was difficult, but to me it’s pretty special to be up on the podium.

“Racing is about taking a chance and risk and all that … ultimately I came across the finish line with a huge smile on my face.”
 
On retiring, Rahlves said, “It’s kind of tough. It’s tough walking away, but I’ve had a lot of great times in my skiing.”

Miller elaborates on the hate mail
Miller, who said his family got hate mail after the Olympics, was asked about it again on Thursday after winning the Are super G. This is what he said:

“That’s nothing new though. That’s happened for years. But the stuff after the Olympics was pretty aggressive. It was based on people who were taking a lot of opinions that maybe came across as fact … people were getting pretty fired up and pretty involved in it considering the amount of research they were willing to do, which as an athlete is maybe a little bit weird and a little bit frustrating.

“If somebody’s going to put that much energy into writing me or my family or my coaches hate mail, and be pretty harsh and aggressive, it seems like they would put the 10 minutes or whatever it would be to do a little bit of research and find out that what they’re basing their entire hate mail and judgment on is just one journalist’s opinion who’s never even been to a ski race, or has been to one or two ski races in their life, and doesn’t know really anything about what they’re writing about.”

Men’s super G
Are, Sweden
March 16, 2006
1. Bode Miller, USA 1:27.78
2. Daron Rahlves, USA 1:28.12
3. Aksel Svindal, NOR 1:28.31
4. Hermann Maier, AUT 1:28.40
5. Stephan Goergl, AUT 1:28.44
6. Marco Buechel, LIE 1:28.48
7. Peter Fill, ITA 1:29.28
8. Kjetil Andre Aamodt, NOR 1:29.31
9. Hannes Reichelt, AUT 1:29.35
10. Bruno Kernen, SUI 1:29.38
11. Patrick Jaerbyn, SWE 1:29.45
12. Matthias Lanzinger, AUT 1:29.71
13. Lasse Kjus, NOR 1:30.12
14. Rainer Schoenfelder, AUT 1:30.29
15. Francois Bourgue, CAN 1:30.43
16. Patrick Staudacher, ITA 1:30.56
17. Andreas Schifferer, AUT 1:30.65
18. Fritz Strobl, AUT 1:31.31
19. Michael Sablatnik, AUT 1:31.55
20. Michael Walchhofer, AUT 1:32.12
Other North Americans:
DNS: Eric Guay, CAN.
DNF: Ted Ligety, Scott Macartney, USA.

THE SCOOP

Equipment
Men’s SG, Are, March 16, 2006
Skier, skis/boots/bindings
1. Miller, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
2. Rahlves, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
3. Svindal, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
4. Maier, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
5. Goergl, Fischer/Lange/Fischer
6. Buechel, Head/Lange/Tyrolia
7. Fill, Dynastar/Lange/Look
8. Aamodt, Dynastar/Lange/Tyrolia
9. Reichelt, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
10. Kernen, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol

World Cup Finals – Men’s super G, Are, Sweden, March 16, 2006 …
It is the 35th event of the men’s 34 race, four combined World Cup schedule. … There are two races remaining and one was canceled. … It is the sixth and final super G of the season.

It is the 21st career win for Bode Miller. … His second of the season after winning the Beaver Creek GS Dec. 3. … It is the 161st World Cup win for a U.S. skier. … The ninth of the season. … The third since the Olympic break. … Four different U.S. skiers have won World Cup races this season. … Miller is second on the all-time U.S. win list behind Phil Mahre (27wins). … It is the third career SG win for Miller. … His first since winning the SG at last season’s World Cup Finals March 11, 2005, at Lenzerheide.

It is the 28th career World Cup podium for Daron Rahlves. … His seventh of the season. … It is his seventh career SG podium. … His second SG podium of the season, the first since finishing third at Lake Louise Nov. 27.

It is the sixth career podium for Aksel Lund Svindal. … His fifth of the season. … It is his second career SG podium (The other at Lake Louise Nov. 27). … He is the first Norwegian to win the SG title since Atle Skaardal in 1996.

Benjamin Raich (DNF) has won the World Cup overall title. Aksel Svindal cuts further into his margin and Raich now leads 1,310-970. … Bode Mil
ler closes on Svindal and is third at 928. … Daron Rahlves sits fourth at 863. … Svindal gains the super G title from Hermann Maier (fourth in race) by two points (284-282) by placing one spot in front of him in the race by .11 of a second. … It is the first career World Cup title for Svindal. … Winning margin is .34 of a second. … Top six skiers are within the same second. … Top 12 within two seconds.