Austrian superstar Hermann Maier put a huge exclamation point on his recovery from a horrendous leg injury Sunday as he won a World Cup super G at Lake Louise, leading Austrians into the top four places. With temperatures in the teens, Daron Rahlves (Sugar Bowl, CA) was tied for 10th place with Bode Miller (Franconia, NH) in 19th.

Maier, who missed the 2002 Olympics after his August 2001 motorcycle crash, was timed in 1:36.69 for the 43rd victory of his career, his 18th in SG. His last win was the super G at Kitzbuehel, Austria, last January and he didn't race the final month of the season after the world championships. Michael Walchhofer, who won Saturday's first downhill of the new season, was second (1:36.95) with Stephan Eberharter - who followed Maier by winning the World Cup overall plus DH and super G titles each of the last two seasons - third and Benjamin Raich fourth.

Rahlves, who tied Norwegian Axel Lund Svindal, was timed in 1:38.27 for the season's initial super G while Miller finished in 1:38.86; he was able to retain his World Cup points lead at 213 with Walchhofer second (204). Jake Fiala (Frisco, CO) got his first World Cup points of the season in 29th place.

"We had a lot more positives today than [Saturday in the DH]," DH/SG Head Coach John McBride said. "It was a decent race for Daron; he made a couple of small mistakes but it's a better start in super G than a year ago. I don't think Bode tactically skied as well as he could have but it was good for Jake, too, to come out of the back and score points, too, and, really, Scotty Mac [Macartney - Redmond, WA] and [Bryon] Friedman [Park City, UT] were at it, taking chances as they had to from the back, so it was a good one for them, too."

But as the World Cup group headed for Beaver Creek, Colo., and the Chevy Truck Birds of Prey races Dec. 6-7, another DH and super G, Maier clearly was on a lot of minds. "Mr. Maier really kicked some serious butt on the toughest sections of the course," McBride said. "He lit it up, clean and positive all the way down, no question."

The U.S. will race seven men in both downhill and super G in Beaver Creek. The final spot in DH will be determined in a team time trial, McBride said, while Dane Spencer (Boise, ID) will take Friedman's place in the super G.

Men's Super G

1. Hermann Maier, Austria, 1:36.69
2. Michael Walchhofer, Austria, 1:36.95
3. Stephan Eberharter, Austria, 1:37.24

10T. Daron Rahlves, Sugar Bowl, Calif., 1:38.27
19. Bode Miller, Franconia, N.H., 1:38.86
29. Jake Fiala, Frisco, Colo., 1:39.l8
34. Marco Sullivan, Squaw Valley, Calif., 1:39.37
48. Scott Macartney, Redmond, Wash., 1:39.99
58. Thomas Vonn, Newburgh, N.Y., 1:40.85
60. Bryon Friedman, Park City, Utah, 1:41.02

— Courtesy of US Ski Team