Miller looks for first medal of Turin Games

By Steve Ginsburg

TURIN (Reuters) – After several sub-par performances,
outspoken American Bode Miller shoots again for his first medal
of the Winter Olympics on Saturday in the Alpine skiing
super-G.

The world champion in the discipline was disqualified from
the first run of the men’s combined slalom earlier this week in
Sestriere and claimed not to be too bothered about it.

“I don’t tend to get that disappointed,” the overall World
Cup champion said after the race. “At least I don’t have to go
all the way down to Torino (for the medal ceremony).”

The super-G is one of nine gold medals up for grabs on
Saturday, including the women’s combined which had to be
extended over two days due to high winds.

Despite his cavalier attitude about having to come off the
Italian Alps for his medal, it is a safe bet Miller will race
with his usual reckless abandon in an effort to hit the podium.

Chief rivals include team mate Daron Rahlves, as well as
Olympic champion Hermann Maier and Austrian compatriot Benjamin
Raich.

In the women’s combined, defending champion Janica Kostelic
appears primed to repeat after finishing the slalom in second
place on Friday, 0.46 seconds behind Marlies Schild of Austria.

Although suffering some health problems, the Croatian is
stronger in the speed event than Schild, making her the
favorite to win on Saturday.

Elsewhere, Norway are favorites to win their first
cross-country skiing gold medal of the Games in the women’s 4×5
km relay. Marit Bjoergen and Hilde Pedersen, silver and bronze
medallists respectively in Thursday’s 10-km classical race,
will lead the assault.

On the short track skating rink, the men return to the ice
to contend for the 1,000 meters while South Korean 17-year-old
Jin Sun-yu will be looking to add Olympic gold to her string of
wins in the 1,500.

Other gold-medal competitions on Saturday include the
biathlon men’s 12.5-km and women’s 10-km, the large hill
individual ski jumping and the men’s 1,000-metres speedskating.