BEAVER CREEK, United States (AFP) - American Bode Miller led a US one-two in the men's downhill, his fourth win in five races confirming him as the man to beat in the alpine World Cup.Miller charged down the treacherous Birds of Prey course in 1min 39.76sec.

He was followed by compatriot Daron Rahlves in 1:39.92, and it was left to Michael Walchhofer to salvage Austrian honor with a third-place finish in 1:40.15.

It was the first US one-two in a speed event in World Cup history. Brothers Phil and Steven Mahre finished one-two in a slalom in Sarajevo in 1984.
 
"It was phenomenal," Miller said after his sensational run. "When I was jumping the last jump, I thought 'it's so exciting.'

"I knew the others would have to risk so much to beat me. It's a great day for the United States."

When Rahlves came through, Miller and teammate Bryon Friedman, who finished seventh, joined him in the finish area, waving an American flag to the delight of the crowd.

Miller, 27, claimed his fourth victory of the season, after triumphs in a giant slalom in Solden, Austria, and in the downhill and super-G at Lake Louise last week.

Those victories along with a runner-up finish in a super-G here on Thursday mean Miller has been on the podium in every race this season.

That puts him squarely on the path toward becoming the first American since Phil Mahre to claim the coveted overall World Cup crown.

Austrian Hermann Maier, the reigning overall World Cup champion, fell further behind. An eight-time winner on the Birds of Prey course, Maier finished a disappointing 10th.

Miller leads the overall standings with 480 points, ahead of Walchhofer (195) and Maier (194).

He also leads the downhill, super-G and giant slalom standings.
With a giant slalom and slalom scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, Miller will have an opportunity to pad his lead before the circuit heads back to Europe.

Saturday December 4, 09:04 AM 

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