With Bode Miller leading the way, U.S. skiers dominated a World Cup race like never before. Miller now wonders if his decision to race independently quickened the development of some of his former teammates.

Miller finished second to Austria's Michael Walchhofer yesterday in the classic Saslong downhill at Val Gardena, Italy. The New Hampshire skier was 0.38 seconds behind the winning time of 1 minute, 50.57 seconds.

Miller led a record contingent of five Americans in the top 10. He also revived the defense of his overall World Cup title, moving up to ninth in the standings from 13th.

"A lot of the things I was bringing up over the last 10 years have been changed and improved, and have allowed the guys to have the program that they have now," Miller said.

Marco Sullivan of Tahoe City, Calif., took fourth for the U.S.; Erik Fisher of Middleton, Idaho, was a career-best seventh; 2006 winner Steven Nyman of Provo, Utah, finished ninth; and TJ Lanning of Park City, Utah, 10th.

Miller split from the U.S. team before last season and now trains and races on his own, although he still wears the team uniform to conform with International Ski Federation rules. Miller's main problem with the American federation concerned accommodations — he insists on sleeping in his personal motor home instead of the team hotel.

SWISS WINS SUPER-G

Swiss teenager Lara Gut put on a breakthrough performance yesterday to win a super-G race at St. Moritz, Switzerland, for her first World Cup victory, while American Lindsey Vonn maintained the overall lead despite skiing off course.

Skiing first on a course shortened by fog, the 17-year-old Gut finished in 57.38 seconds, 0.63 ahead of Switzerland's Fabienne Suter. Italy's Nadia Fanchini was third, trailing Gut by 0.87.

Julia Mancuso was the top American, finishing 13th.

Vonn skied out about halfway down the course. The defending overall World Cup champion was one of many racers caught out by a bump in a fast section after a sharp right-hand turn.

SPEED SKATING

OHNO FALLS TO THIRD

A late crash by Apolo Anton Ohno allowed Travis Jayner to win the 500-meter final yesterday at the U.S. Short Track Speedskating Championship in Chesterfield, Mo. The wild finish completed a confusing race that the referee ordered rerun.

Kimberly Derrick captured a smoothly run women's final.

Ohno was in the lead when he tripped over a block coming out of the final turn of the last lap and took Jordan Malone to the ice. Jayner won in 43.958 seconds and Malone recovered to take second in 44.498. He was followed by Ohno and J.R. Celski.

Ohno fell going into the third turn during the initial running of the final and was followed to the ice by Jayner and Celski. The referee quickly whistled the race dead because he determined the results of the race would have been skewed because of the three falls.

In the women's race, Derrick held the lead from the start and finished in 45.984 seconds. Maria Garcia took second in 46.032 and was followed by Alyson Dudek and Allison Baver.

OLYMPICS

IOC COULD LOSE MILLIONS

The International Olympic Committee could lose nearly $5 million in investments tied to the Wall Street financier accused in a $50 billion financial scam.

IOC finance commission chairman Richard Carrion told The Associated Press the Olympic body has about $4.8 million at risk in the alleged Ponzi scheme by Bernard Madoff.

"That could be the maximum loss," Carrion told The Associated Press in a telephone interview from Puerto Rico, adding that the IOC's money wasn't directly in Madoff funds. "They're in funds invested in Madoff funds."

IOC spokeswoman Emmanuelle Moreau said the Madoff affair would have "limited impact" on the IOC's overall finances.

Madoff, a 70-year-old former Nasdaq stock market chairman, was ordered on Friday to remain in his New York home under 24-hour surveillance and to hire security guards for protection.

The IOC's exposure to the affair was first reported in the Wall Street Journal.