Bode Miller became the first American in 22 years to win skiing's overall World Cup title.
He finished ahead of his only remaining challenger, Benjamin Raich of Austria, in the season's final giant slalom yesterday in Lenzerheide, Switzerland, to capture the crown. The last non-Europeans to win the overall championship were Americans Phil Mahre and Tamara McKinney in 1983.
"I felt like I was geared to race. I did what I came to do," said Bode Miller, who became the first U.S. skier to win the overall World Cup title since 1983, when Phil Mahre and Tamara McKinney both won.
(Eddy Risch -- Keystone Via AP)
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_____ 2004 Summer Olympics _____
• Look back at the Athens Games, highlighted by Michael Phelps's eight medals and marked by unfounded worries over terrorism.
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"It's been a bit embarrassing it's taken so long. It was getting a bit like the Red Sox," said Miller, a New Englander. "It was a bit embarrassing because it was like a curse."
"The last four years I've had a chance to win an overall," added Miller, who was fourth twice and second in 2003.
Miller finished second in the giant slalom, 0.68 of a second behind Stephan Goergl of Austria, who won with a two-run time of 2 minutes 10.51 seconds. Raich came in third, 0.80 behind.
Raich's only chance to stay alive for the overall was to win and hope Miller finished outside the top 15. Raich skied before Miller and posted the best time to that point. The Austrian's lead held for four more skiers until Miller ended the suspense by beating Raich.
With only today's slalom left, Miller holds an insurmountable 204-point lead. He has 1,608 points to Raich's 1,404, with wins worth 100 points.
"It's done, it's over," Miller said.
Miller was not the only American to enjoy a big day. Sarah Schleper recorded her first World Cup victory, winning the season's final slalom in which Janica Kostelic of Croatia finished second to close in on overall leader Anja Paerson of Sweden. Nicole Hosp of Austria was third.
Raich was left with the consolation prize of taking the World Cup giant slalom title, finishing with a three-point edge over Miller, the defending champion in that category.
Raich also won the crystal globe awarded to the season's slalom winner.
"I had a good world championships and now I've got two globes in giant slalom and slalom, so I'm very happy," said Raich, who outperformed Miller at last month's world championships, gaining four medals -- two golds, a silver and a bronze -- to Miller's two golds.
"I was trying to win the GS title today, but Benni had an amazing second run and that's what made the separation," Miller said. "I wanted to win the GS obviously, but I won that one last year."
As overall champion, Miller joins such greats as Jean-Claude Killy, Ingemar Stenmark, Marc Girardelli, Pirmin Zurbriggen, Alberto Tomba and Hermann Maier, the Austrian who won his fourth title last season.
