WENGEN, Switzerland — Ivica Kostelic used a surging slalom run to win a World Cup super-combined race Friday, edging Swiss skier Beat Feuz and Bode Miller.
The Croatian slalom specialist trailed first-run leader Feuz by almost three seconds in the downhill, but beat him by 0.20 seconds. Kostelic had a combined two-run time of 2 minutes, 42.16 seconds.
“I guess no one would put money on me after the downhill,” Kostelic said of his 23rd-place finish. “Fortunately, I can say I had one of my best runs ever.”
Miller trailed Kostelic by 0.45 seconds after being second-fastest in the downhill. The 34-year-old Miller, who won the event in 2010, hugged his fellow veteran in congratulation after the result was announced.
“For me, it was really a pretty frustrating day,” Miller said before describing a “miserable” slalom run. “Obviously, I made a huge mistake and I allowed myself to get a little bit frustrated.”
Miller’s performance on the shortened downhill course suggests he will be difficult to beat in the classic Lauberhorn downhill today.
Ted Ligety of the United States was sixth, 0.81 behind the winner.
“It would have been easy to be seven-tenths faster in slalom,” Ligety said. “I skied well at the top, but was too conservative down the pitch.”
Kostelic’s 21st career World Cup win closed the gap on Marcel Hirscher of Austria in the overall standings. Hirscher did not enter Friday’s race, and will compete Sunday in the slalom.
With the 100 World Cup points for victory, Kostelic — the defending overall champion — trails Hirscher by 130. Ligety moved to third overall.
Feuz stayed in fifth and Miller retained his sixth spot with his ninth career podium finish.
The Associated Press
