Bode Miller (Franconia, NH) shook off a boot problem on his first run Sunday to post the second-fastest second run, moving into 6th place in a World Cup slalom and 2nd in the first combined calculation of the season.

Erik Schlopy (Park City, UT) was 11th and three more U.S. skiers were in the top-25 behind Croatian Ivica Kostelic, who won by one-hundredth of a second.

Kostelic, whose breakthrough victory came seven weeks ago at the Chevy Truck Aspen Winternational in Colorado, finished in 1:42.29 with Slovenian Mitja Kunc just .01 back. Edoardo Zardini of Italy came out of the 63rd position start to finish third in 1:42.61.

Miller finished in 1:43.11 with Schlopy down in a two-run time of 1:43.50. The performance, coupled with Saturday's downhill, put Miller in 2nd place in combined behind Kjetil Andre Aamodt of Norway and gave him 120 World Cup points — 80 for combined, 40 for SL — for the day as he moved closer to Austrian leader Stephan Eberharter.

But it was an American attack for World Cup points and Olympic opportunities. Behind Miller and Schlopy, who have both already qualified for February's Winter Games in Utah, Chip Knight (Stowe, VT) met one of the top Olympic criterium with his second top-20, finishing 17th. Sacha Gros (Vail, CO) had his first top-20, finishing 20th, while World Cup rookie Tom Rothrock (Cashmere, WA) collected the first World Cup points of his career after taking 25th place.

"It was a huge day for us, an outstanding team effort," said Head SL/GS Coach Jesse Hunt.

"Bode ripped on that second run, just ripped it [.06 behind Canadian Thomas Grandi, who had the fastest time]. First run, Bode had a problem with his boot or his binding. He had a hard time, he said, feeling his edge so he skied a little more conservatively. He wanted to stay in contention for the combined. He's figuring out the tactics and strategy...but he really put it down in his second run.

"And skiing combined gave him a chance to get some downhill training, a good chance to get some wind in his face," Hunt said.

Schlopy's result was his top World Cup finish of the season as he's battled lingering bronchitis since late summer. ""This has to be a good confidence-builder for Erik, a good step back for him. He had an outstanding first run [9th] and then skied a little tentatively on his second run, but that was good. Erik wanted that finish and that's good thinking."

The men's tour heads to Kitzbuehel, Austria, for the annual Hahnenkamm Weekend with three races — a super G, the Hahnenkamm downhill, and a slalom leading to the second and final combined event of the winter.

— Courtesy, US Ski Team