Worlds: Svindal, Miller lead combined after DH leg

Bode Miller does not do things on a race hill the way anyone else does. He finished second, by a whisker .04, to Aksel Svindal in the downhill leg of the men’s World Championship combined this morning, putting his hip on the ground and a ski over his head. Call it unconventional, but somehow he is fast.

The downhill will be added to the time of a slalom that will be run seven hours later under the lights as organizers have reshuffled the schedule to squeeze in the women’s downhill postponed yesterday.Bode Miller does not do things on a race hill the way anyone else does. He finished second, by a whisker .04, to Aksel Svindal in the downhill leg of the men’s World Championship combined this morning, putting his hip on the ground and a ski over his head. Call it unconventional, but somehow he is fast.

The downhill will be added to the time of a slalom that will be run seven hours later under the lights as organizers have reshuffled the schedule to squeeze in the women’s downhill postponed yesterday.

Beyond Svindal, who does own a combined silver medal from the 2005 World Championships, and Miller, who owns gold from 2003, sit a couple of Frenchman. Adrien Theaux is third, and Jean-Baptiste Grange, a spectaclular slalom skier, is fourth. Theaux is .91 back and Grange 1.10. Slovene Andrej Jerman in fifth is 1.31 out.

American Ted Ligety was disqualified on an equipment technicality. His binding measured .15mm too high.

The race should favor the more technically inclinded racers. The downhill course had been shortened by about 30percent according to the times. John Kucera won the men’s downhill gold Saturday in 2 minutes and seven seconds. Svindal’s time today was 1:30.99. The course, especially the lower sections, is packed with turns, favoring technical prowess.

Add another full second to makeup for Erik Fisher and still another for Andrew Weibrecht. The Canadians have John Kucera sitting 3.4 seconds out and Paul Stutz 3.9.