GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, Germany — Christof Innerhofer of Italy mastered a bumpy course to win the super-G at the world championships for his first major title, while American Bode Miller lost a pole and finished 12th.
Hannes Reichelt of Austria was second and overall World Cup leader Ivica Kostelic of Croatia was third.
Miller, the Olympic silver medalist, clipped a gate with his arm and lost a pole. He maintained a fast pace and was nearly a full second ahead of the 10 previous racers. But he lost his balance coming out of a bend at the bottom, slowed down and stood up as he crossed the finish line.
“I tried to push on the top, but I hooked my arm pretty hard,” Miller said. “I made the recovery but then I lost my balance. I skied like I wanted on the top. But it’s a matter of finishing without making mistakes.”
His run inspired Innerhofer.
“I saw Bode Miller and I told myself that’s how I had to race, too,” he said. “Simply give your best, then you can’t reproach yourself at the finish.”
Innerhofer has only one World Cup victory to date — a downhill in Bormio in Italy in December 2008 — but he beat Reichelt by a massive 0.60 seconds, finishing in 1 minute, 38.31 seconds. Reichelt, who won the super-G race Saturday, clocked 1:38.91. Kostelic finished in 1:39.03.
“These races come only once every two years, so I knew I had to go all out today,” Innerhofer said.
Miller said skiing without the pole didn’t seem to make much of a difference. He likely would have broken into the top 10 if he had not crossed the line in a leisurely fashion.
“It was challenging.” he said, “but that’s how it should be. It’s the world championships.”
Ted Ligety of the United States, who went off the course, said running early was more difficult.
“A couple of turns you get some sun,” Ligety said. “Just in general it’s in the shade all the way down and that makes it tough when it’s that bumpy.”
