Miller gets gold at Vancouver Olympics

American Bode Miller secured his first ever Olympic gold medal, in the super combined, after rival Aksel Lund Svindal failed to finish the slalom on yesterday’s ninth day at the Vancouver Olympics.



Miller, who was tipped to win five medals in Turin four years ago but left empty-handed, had already taken bronze in the downhill and super-G silver.



Seventh in the downhill, he responded with a slalom time of 51.01 seconds.



Croatia’s Ivica Kostelic took the silver medal and Silvan Zurbriggen of Switzerland the bronze.



Meanwhile, Russian Evgeny Ustyugov won the men’s biathlon 15 kilometre mass start race in 35 minutes 35.7 seconds, and Magdalena Neuner of Germany won the women’s 12.5 kilometre mass start biathlon race in 35 minutes 19.6 seconds.



Swiss Michael Schmid won the gold medal in the men’s ski cross on Cypress Mountain, with Austrian Andreas Matt taking the silver and Norway’s Audun Groenveld the bronze.



USA are leading the table with a medal haul of 24 including seven gold, seven silver and 10 bronze.



Germany are second with a medal haul of 16 including five gold, six silver and five bronze.