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Walchhofer makes it two

Austrian Michael Walchhofer, center, Italian Peter Fill, left, and Austrian Mario Scheiber celebrate on the winners' podium at the end of the Alpine Skiing World Cup Men's Downhill in Bormio, Italy, on Friday. PHOTO: EPA

Michael Walchhofer won a World Cup downhill race for the second consecutive day on Friday.

The Austrian skied down the 3km Stelvio course in 1 minute, 51.82 seconds.

"It was a fantastic two days. Now I can start the new year with a lot of self-confidence," Walchhofer said.

Peter Fill of Italy was second, 0.22 seconds behind, and Mario Scheiber of Austria was third for the second straight day at 0.27 seconds behind.

US skier Bode Miller finished fourth, 0.39 behind, and Didier Cuche of Switzerland was fifth, 0.50 back, to retain his lead atop the downhill standings.

On Thursday, Walchhofer snapped a 13-race winless streak for the Austrian men's team. Now he is the first skier to win two downhills in two days in Bormio.

"Yesterday's win was very important. Today is a little bit different," Walchhofer said. "It's good to make history."

Friday's downhill was the final event of the year for the men's circuit. Racing resumes with a giant slalom and slalom in Adelboden, Switzerland, next weekend.

Walchhofer had a near-perfect run but lost time on the bottom portion of the course, where Fill was superb.

Miller was also much faster than Fill at the final split, but couldn't keep it going.

"Bode just looked tired," said Steven Nyman, Miller's US teammate who finished 21st.

Marco Sullivan, another American, finished 12th.

Olympic gold medalist Antoine Deneriaz didn't start because of a problem with his right knee. The French team said Deneriaz would be out until the downhill in Chamonix, France, on Jan. 20.

Walchhofer took the silver medal behind Deneriaz at the Turin Games and has won the World Cup downhill title for the past two seasons. This was the 11th World Cup victory of his career and it moved him within 44 points of Cuche in the downhill standings.
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