The New York Times-20080128-Miller Takes Over Lead In World Cup Standings

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Miller Takes Over Lead In World Cup Standings

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Bode Miller won the super-combined title Sunday in Chamonix, France, earning his fourth World Cup victory this season and taking the lead in the overall standings.

Miller won the downhill portion of the event and, combined with his slalom run, he finished with a total time of 2 minutes 34.58 seconds. He replaced Benjamin Raich of Austria atop the World Cup overall standings.

I was wondering this morning if I could ski, Miller said. I fell Saturday during the slalom practice. I have a bruised left hip.

The slalom specialist Ivica Kostelic of Croatia finished second, moving from eighth after the downhill, 0.45 behind Miller. Rainer Schonfelder of Austria was third in 2:35.92.

Miller led the field by 0.32 after the downhill, taking control of the race in the upper section of the course.

Miller leads the overall standings with 967 points, moving from third. Raich is second with 905, followed by the downhill leader, Didier Cuche of Switzerland, with 878.

AUSTRIAN WINS FOURTH SLALOM Julia Mancuso and Lindsey Vonn of the United States crashed out in the first run in Ofterschwang, Germany, but Marlies Schild of Austria captured her fourth World Cup slalom race of the season.

Schild finished her two runs in a combined time of 1:40.85, ahead of Therese Borssen of Sweden by 0.42. Nicole Hosp of Austria, the overall World Cup leader, was third.

Mancuso lost her footing trying to take a gate in the upper half of the first run. Vonn, who skied right after Mancuso, went out at nearly the same spot.

Hosp increased her lead in the overall World Cup standings with 899 points to Vonn's 773. Schild moved into third place at 751, and Mancuso dropped to fifth at 703.

Schild's victory was not enough to overtake Hosp in the slalom standings, in which she trails, 465-460.

Of course, I like it when I catch up a little bit, Schild said. But the main thing is having fun with skiing.

TRACK RECORDS FALL Anni Friesinger of Germany and Denny Morrison of Canada set track records in the 1,000-meter races at a speedskating World Cup meet at Olympic Hall in Hamar, Norway.

Friesinger finished in 1:14.81 to beat Christine Nesbitt of Canada by 1.03 seconds.

Morrison won in 1:08.56, only 0.02 ahead of Simon Kuipers of the Netherlands.

Havard Bokko won the 10,000 in 13:09.61 to beat Chad Hedrick of the United States by 1.59 seconds.