VAL GARDENA (Italy), Dec 20: Michael Walchhofer edged Bode Miller to win the classic Saslong downhill for the second straight year on Saturday, ending Austria’s one-year victory drought in the discipline it once dominated.

Walchhofer clocked 1 minute, 50.57 seconds down a course that features jumps launching skiers into the air for more than 75 meters (yards), at speeds upward of 120 kph (75 mph).

“This was a very important target for me. I’ve waited a long time for this,” said Walchhofer, who took the lead in the downhill standings from Aksel Lund Svindal. “I would describe my run as almost perfect. I was really able to let my skis run the way I wanted to.”

Miller finished second, 0.38 seconds behind, to revive his chances of defending his overall World Cup title. Svindal finished 34th but still leads the overall standings with 398 points. Miller moved up from 13th to ninth with 240 points.

Miller may have been able to match Walchhofer if not for a slight bobble on the upper part of the course.

“I don’t think that made a huge difference. On a lot of sections of this course Walchhofer is just unbeatable. I was happy with second,” Miller said, adding that his left ankle is still sore from a crash in Beaver Creek, Colorado earlier this month.

Manuel Osborne-Paradis of Canada was third, 0.54 back.

It was the 14th victory of Walchhofer’s career, and his third in Val Gardena, putting him one win from tying the course record of four victories held by Austrian great Franz Klammer and Italy’s Kristian Ghedina.

No Austrian man or woman had won a downhill since Walchhofer finished first here one year and five days ago. The last Austrian woman to win skiing’s signature race was Renate Goetschl in March, 2007.

Five Americans placed in the top 10 for the first time in a World Cup race. Marco Sullivan was fourth, Erik Fisher crossed seventh with the No 52 bib for his best career result, 2006 winner Steven Nyman was ninth and TJ Lanning 10th.

“More or less all the guys on the team are thinking at the start gate that they can do well. It’s just a matter of confidence,” said Miller, who races independently from the US Ski Team. “I’m friends with all those guys.”

With Osborne-Paradis on the podium and Canadian team-mate Erik Guay fifth, it was a banner day for North Americans.

“This was like a Nor-Am race in Europe,” Osborne-Paradis stated. “When two teams come together you’re able to combine forces. We all hang out together and train together and it’s starting to pay off.”

It’s the first time Miller has finished on the podium in the downhill here. He won a super-G on the Saslong in 2006 and finished second in that discipline last year, but had never been able to pull it all together over the longer distance.

The Saslong was shorted slightly on Saturday due to fog and low visibility on the upper reaches of the course.

Miller also finished second in the season’s opening slalom in Levi, Finland, last month. He then failed to finish four of his next seven races.

The circuit now moves to nearby Alta Badia for a giant slalom and slalom Sunday and Monday. Miller won the GS on the Gran Risa in 2002 and finished second two years ago.

Results (World Cup downhill):

1 Michael Walchhofer (Austria) 1:50.57; 2 Bode Miller (US) 1:50.95; 3 Manuel Osborne-Paradis (Canada) 1:51.11; 4. Marco Sullivan (US) 1:51.25; 5 Erik Guay (Canada) 1:51.33; 6 Klaus Krvll (Austria) 1:51.39; 7 Erik Fisher (US) 1:51.90; 8 Ambrosi Hoffmann (Switzerland) 1:51.97; 9 Steven Nyman (US) 1:51.98; 10 Thomas TJ Lanning (US) 1:52.09; 11 Johan Clarey (France) 1:52.22; 12. Didier Cuche (Switzerland) 1:52.24; 13 Robbie Dixon (Canada) 1:52.31; 14 Hans Olsson (Sweden) 1:52.42; 15 Scott MaCartney (US) 1:52.54.—Agencies