VAL GARDENA, Italy — Taking advantage of improved weather and visibility, Beat Feuz of Switzerland outskied Bode Miller to win a World Cup super-G on Friday.
Feuz won in 1 minute, 21.51 seconds on the twisty and terrain-filled Saslong course. Miller finished 0.30 seconds behind, and Kjetil Jansrud of Norway was third.
Miller was an early starter with the No. 8 bib and put down a nearly flawless run in decent, although snowy, conditions. He watched as the top-ranked super-G racers were slowed by poor visibility.
However, just as the American was getting ready to celebrate, the snowfall and visibility lightened. Feuz led Miller at every checkpoint to clinch the second win of his career.
“The coaches told us on the radio that everything on the course was OK and you can attack it, and that’s what I did,” Feuz said in comments translated from Swiss German. “I attacked from start to finish.”
Feuz began celebrating before he came to a stop, pumping his poles up and down in the air. The 24-year-old recounted how as a child he marveled at the skiing of Miller.
“It’s an incredible feeling not just because I won, but also to have Bode Miller behind me,” said Feuz, who finished second in the opening two downhills this season and was third in a super-G two weeks ago in Beaver Creek.
Miller didn’t look pleased after his run, shoving the poles into the ground.
“I knew I left something out there,” Miller said. “It was looking good after the top guys. But Beat has been skiing great this year and he definitely did enough to win, although he definitely had a break with the light.
“He skis smart and with a lot of intensity and skiing with a lot of intensity on a day like today makes a big difference.”
Aksel Lund Svindal finished fourth to keep the overall World Cup lead, although Feuz now trails the Norwegian by only 24 points. Ted Ligety of the United States, who sat out the race, dropped to third, 75 points behind. Miller is fourth overall.
Svindal also held onto his lead in the super-G standings, 59 points ahead of Feuz.
Wiley Maple of Aspen scored the first World Cup points of his career in 29th.
“I’m really excited for Wiley Maple,” U.S. coach Sasha Rearick said. “He got the call (Thursday) night that he was going to get a start here because of the way he’s been training, and he made it count.”
