World Championships silver medalist Hans Knauss of Austria won the final giant slalom of the World Cup season Saturday while bronze medalist Erik Schlopy tied for fourth and gold medalist Bode Miller tied for sixth. While Swiss icon Michaael Von Gruenigen ended his career by clinching the fourth GS title of his career, Miller's performance clinched second place overall and second in the GS points – the best showing by a U.S. man since Phil Mahre won both the overall and GS titles in 1983.

Miller – the only skier, male or female, to compete in every World Cup race this season – has 1,100 points to 940 for Norway's Kjetil Andre Aamodt with one race left.

At the same time, the U.S. men moved back past Norway into third place in the Nations Cup tally, representing team supremacy on the World Cup. With one race remaining – and the U.S. sending three starters into Sunday's SL while Norway has four expected starters, the USA has 2,487 points to 2,435 for Norway; points go only to the top 15 finishers at World Cup Finals.

Knauss, who was GS silver medalist between Miller and Schlopy at the World Championships in St. Moritz last month, was timed in 2:20.83 with teammate Beni Raich runnerup in 2:21.37 and Von Gruenigen completed the podium in 2:21.45.

Schlopy, eighth in the first run, tied Austrian Heinz Schilchegger with a final time of 2:21.65 while Miller, who stormed up from 18th in the first run, finished in 2:21.73 to deadlock Finn Kalle Palander. At World Cup Finals, only the top 25 skiers for the season (plus the world junior champion and 400-point racers) compete, so Miller and Schlopy were the lone U.S. racers.

A smiling Schlopy, who took third behind Miller and Knauss at Worlds in GS after being hamstrung by sickness during the Olympic season, kidded at the finish. "Until Bode went and spoiled everything [with his success of the last two seasons], fourth place used to be 'Woo-hoo, party time' but now it's 'Oh, yeah, fourth – that's good for you'...I'm only joking, of course, but this is terrific.

"I'm really happy with this; it's a good finish to the season...and, yeah, there's still one race to go. I feel I put myself back into contention to go fast and do well."

He said a mistake at the bottom of his second run cost him precious split-seconds "but I'm pleased. The conditions were softening a bit but I skied well."

In a related development, Daron Rahlves (Sugar Bowl, CA), who finished second in the downhill standings for the season with two wins and seven top-3s – the best speed season by a U.S. man in World Cup history, decided not to run the final GS. Rahlves, who stands fifth in the overall points, smacked his left hand against a super G gate Thursday and medical examination Friday showed he had broken his hand, so he elected not to race.

Rahlves, who was on hand for the second run with his left hand wrapped, indicated he grazed a gate in training Friday and the injury was more serious. He is planning to do super G ski testing and training in Kvitfjell before returning to the USA Tuesday. There was no determination if he would able to ski in the Chevy Truck U.S. Alpine Championships in Lake Placid.

When World Cup Finals end Sunday – with men's slalom and women's GS, the U.S. skiers will head to Lake Placid, NY, for the Chevy Truck U.S. Alpine Championships, which begin Thursday.