WHISTLER, British Columbia — Aksel Lund Svindal of Norway won the men’s super-G title today, denying Bode Miller his first Olympic gold medal.

Svindal won in 1 minute, 30.34 seconds on a tough, icy track that gave many racers problems staying within the painted blue lines guiding the course.

Miller was second, trailing by 0.28 seconds, and Andrew Weibrecht of the United States was 0.31 behind Svindal in third.

Svindal took silver in the downhill won by Switzerland’s Didier Defago on Monday, edging Miller into the bronze medal slot.

Miller’s fourth career Olympic medal makes him the most decorated American Alpine skier in history.

Svindal threw both arms in the air as he crossed the finish line and held the pose for the crowd. He then stretched his arms out wide and, pushing his palms upward, urged the crowd to cheer louder.

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Miller looked on clapping with a big smile on his face from the leader’s standing spot, in front of television cameras beside the finish area.

Svindal, starting eight places after Miller, had trailed the American by 0.30 second at the first time split but made up the difference and had a 0.02 lead at the halfway point. He extended his lead along the bottom half of the course.

The big Norwegian was clocked at 114.8 kph (71.3 mph) at a speed check where Miller went through at 100.9 kph (62.7 mph).

Miller delivered an expert run that challenged racers’ ability to be fast while showing technical skills to keep control through the turns.

Even Weibrecht, racing No. 3, went wide early in his run and launched into the air at one jump, with his left ski high in the air before landing well.

Svindal continued Norwegian dominance of a race that was added to the Olympic program at the 1988 Calgary Games. Norway’s great Kjetil Andre Aamodt won it in 1992, 2002 and 2006 — giving the Scandinavian nation a 4-for-7 record in the event’s Olympic history.

Aamodt was at Whistler working for Norwegian television and predicted to The Associated Press before the race that Svindal would win.

“He’s my top favorite,” Aamodt said, expecting the course to favor downhill racers over the giant slalom specialists. “You need to have a perfect run to win.”


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