Tamara Mckinney

Bode Miller was assured of his second overall World Cup title in 4 years after his closest challenger decided not to ski one of the season's final two races. Didier Cuche was not going to compete in the season's final slalom, a Swiss team spokeswoman said yesterday. Cuche, a speed specialist who won the downhill season title over Miller earlier this week, doesn't race the slalom. Miller's personal coach, John McBride, was glad the title came before the final race. Miller split from the U.S. team this season to train on his own. "I am very happy I don't have to drag this all the way to the slalom and chew my fingers off watching him try to bring home the bacon in the slalom," McBride said.

Lindsey Vonn set an American record with her 19th women's World Cup win yesterday, finishing first in the super-G in Tarvisio, Italy. Vonn won in 1 minute, 21.72 seconds to better the previous record of 18 wins held by Tamara McKinney. "I don't see myself as a record-setter and actually never thought it was possible to pass a legend like Tamara," Vonn said. "But I'm extremely thrilled and hope that a lot of kids see what's possible in ski racing and get inspired. " Vonn, the defending World Cup overall champion, set the mark despite having surgery on a severed tendon 2 weeks ago. She sliced her thumb on a broken champagne bottle while celebrating a world championship victory, and competed with a specially designed splint on her right hand.

Spain wins medals in alpine skiing about as often as Switzerland produces matadors. Francisco Fernandez Ochoa took a bronze in men's slalom at Sapporo, Japan, in 1972. Sixteen years later, his sister, Blanca Fernandez Ochoa, stood in the gate of the ladies giant slalom at Mount Allan, poised to win a possible gold medal after winning the first run. And even though Switzerland's Vreni Schneider put pressure on her with a 1:05.96 clocking on a longer and twistier second run, Blanca, skiing 15th, had three-tenths of a second in hand and seemed in perfect shape to steal at least a silver.

Unseeded Kate Gompert, who never has won a major tournament, scored a stunning upset of second-seeded Hana Mandlikova, 6-2, 7-6 (7-0), to advance to the quarterfinals of the $150,000 Virginia Slims of Chicago tennis tournament. Ranked 25th in the world, Gompert, of Rancho Mirage, Calif., will face 16- year-old Natalie Zvereva today after her surprise victory. In other tennis news: Qualifier Niklas Kroon, of Sweden, upset his countryman, top-seeded Mats Wilander, 7-5, 6-3, in the second round of the $174,000 Frankfurt (West Germany)

Rafael Nadal won his first title since the French Open, beating Novak Djokovic, 6-2, 7-5, yesterday at the Pacific Life Open in Indian Wells, Calif. Nadal, a five-time champion last year and an 11-time winner in 2005, had gone a stretch of 12 tournaments without winning, dating to the successful defense of his title at Roland Garros in June. "It was a very great week for me, a very, very important week," he said. "I have [gone] 8 months without any title, but I came back with a big one. " Nadal has been ranked No. 2 for a record 86 consecutive weeks, with Roger Federer a distant No. 1. The three-time defending champion at Indian Wells, Federer lost his first match in the event this year, ending his 41-match win string.

In a big day for American skiing, Lindsey Vonn earned the title of best U.S. downhiller yesterday while Ted Ligety won a World Cup giant slalom in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia. Vonn won her 10th World Cup downhill to break the U.S. record set by Picabo Street (1996) and tied by Daron Rahlves (2006). Vonn won in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, in 1 minute, 23.57 seconds. With Bode Miller leading the men's overall World Cup standings, this could mark the first time Americans capture the men's and women's overall titles in the same year since Phil Mahre and Tamara McKinney in 1983.

Tamara McKinney, whose season has been on hold because of a broken leg, overtook five other skiers on the second run yesterday to win the women's slalom at the U.S. Alpine Ski Championships at Copper Mountain, Colo. The U.S. men's slalom winner was Felix McGrath, who built nearly a full second lead on the first run despite breaking a ski pole and cruised to a convincing triumph. McKinney, 25, of Olympic Valley, Calif., stood sixth after the first run, during which she lost her goggles after hitting the second gate.

Tamara McKinney made the Olympic alpine team on Wednesday and skied her first race of the season on Saturday. That's not the usual order of business - being rewarded for reputation instead of performance - but these are extremely unusual times for the U.S. ski team. Few can remember a leaner year on the European circuit. No American male is ranked higher than 20th in the World Cup standings, no woman higher than 40th. That's why, even though she's been shelved since Nov. 9 with a fractured bone above her left ankle, McKinney remains one of the few American medal hopes at Calgary.

"The Queen" is back on the mountain. Tamara McKinney, the most accomplished female skier in U.S. history, will compete in the 1988 Winter Olympics after all. The announcement was made last week, ending months of speculation that if McKinney made it to Calgary at all, it would be on crutches. The Feb. 1 issue of Sports Illustrated carried a story detailing the woes of the U.S. ski team. It quoted Chip Woods, the women's coach, as saying: "Tamara's (injured ankle) is still very tender . . . and the thought of hooking a ski again is unbearable to her. " The writer, William Oscar Johnson, concluded flatly: "She will not compete in Calgary.

Julia Mancuso seems to do her best skiing in the Italian Alps. The resident of Squaw Valley, Calif., won a downhill in Tarvisio yesterday for her fourth victory this season and moved within nine points of Austrian Marlies Schild, who is atop the World Cup overall standings. No American woman has won the overall title since another Squaw Valley resident - Tamara McKinney - in 1983. Caroline Zhang, 13, won the girls' title at the Junior World Figure Skating Championships in Oberstdorf, Germany, leading an American sweep.

IT'S THAT TIME again. That time once every 2 years when the greatest athletes rarely in the spotlight get their moments to shine. Over the summer of 2008, it was swimmer Michael Phelps, whose run of eight gold medals at the Summer Olympics in Beijing captured the imagination of the American public. In a month, the attention of the sports world will focus on Vancouver for the XXI Winter Olympics, beginning on Feb. 12. So don't be surprised if over the next 30 days you're inundated with the name Lindsey Vonn.

Lindsey Vonn set an American record with her 19th women's World Cup win yesterday, finishing first in the super-G in Tarvisio, Italy. Vonn won in 1 minute, 21.72 seconds to better the previous record of 18 wins held by Tamara McKinney. "I don't see myself as a record-setter and actually never thought it was possible to pass a legend like Tamara," Vonn said. "But I'm extremely thrilled and hope that a lot of kids see what's possible in ski racing and get inspired. " Vonn, the defending World Cup overall champion, set the mark despite having surgery on a severed tendon 2 weeks ago. She sliced her thumb on a broken champagne bottle while celebrating a world championship victory, and competed with a specially designed splint on her right hand.

Bode Miller was assured of his second overall World Cup title in 4 years after his closest challenger decided not to ski one of the season's final two races. Didier Cuche was not going to compete in the season's final slalom, a Swiss team spokeswoman said yesterday. Cuche, a speed specialist who won the downhill season title over Miller earlier this week, doesn't race the slalom. Miller's personal coach, John McBride, was glad the title came before the final race. Miller split from the U.S. team this season to train on his own. "I am very happy I don't have to drag this all the way to the slalom and chew my fingers off watching him try to bring home the bacon in the slalom," McBride said.

In a big day for American skiing, Lindsey Vonn earned the title of best U.S. downhiller yesterday while Ted Ligety won a World Cup giant slalom in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia. Vonn won her 10th World Cup downhill to break the U.S. record set by Picabo Street (1996) and tied by Daron Rahlves (2006). Vonn won in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, in 1 minute, 23.57 seconds. With Bode Miller leading the men's overall World Cup standings, this could mark the first time Americans capture the men's and women's overall titles in the same year since Phil Mahre and Tamara McKinney in 1983.

Rafael Nadal won his first title since the French Open, beating Novak Djokovic, 6-2, 7-5, yesterday at the Pacific Life Open in Indian Wells, Calif. Nadal, a five-time champion last year and an 11-time winner in 2005, had gone a stretch of 12 tournaments without winning, dating to the successful defense of his title at Roland Garros in June. "It was a very great week for me, a very, very important week," he said. "I have [gone] 8 months without any title, but I came back with a big one. " Nadal has been ranked No. 2 for a record 86 consecutive weeks, with Roger Federer a distant No. 1. The three-time defending champion at Indian Wells, Federer lost his first match in the event this year, ending his 41-match win string.

Julia Mancuso seems to do her best skiing in the Italian Alps. The resident of Squaw Valley, Calif., won a downhill in Tarvisio yesterday for her fourth victory this season and moved within nine points of Austrian Marlies Schild, who is atop the World Cup overall standings. No American woman has won the overall title since another Squaw Valley resident - Tamara McKinney - in 1983. Caroline Zhang, 13, won the girls' title at the Junior World Figure Skating Championships in Oberstdorf, Germany, leading an American sweep.

Bode Miller became the first American in 22 years to win skiing's overall World Cup title yesterday. He finished ahead of his only remaining challenger, Benjamin Raich of Austria, in the season's final giant slalom, in Lenzerheide, Switzerland, to capture the crown. The last non-Europeans to win the overall championship were Americans Phil Mahre and Tamara McKinney in 1983. "It's been a bit embarrassing it's taken so long. It was getting a bit like the Red Sox," said Miller, a New Englander.

Bode Miller needed a top finish. He needed his Austrian rivals to have a bad day. He got both, and now stands on the verge of becoming the first American to win the overall World Cup title in 22 years. Miller tied for first yesterday in the super-giant slalom in Lenzerheide, Switzerland, capturing the season title in the discipline and opening an almost insurmountable lead over Austria's Benjamin Raich in the overall standings. The only way Miller can lose the overall title is if Raich wins the remaining two races - today's giant slalom and tomorrow's slalom - and the American finishes outside the top 15 both days.

Bode Miller won a World Cup giant slalom yesterday, a strong step toward a milestone no American has reached since 1983: the World Cup title. Miller recorded his sixth victory of the season and the 12th of his career to overtake Austrian star Hermann Maier for the overall lead. Miller also moved to the top of the giant-slalom standings with his third victory of the season in that event. The last time a U.S. skier captured the overall title was 21 years ago when Americans scored a double - Phil Mahre winning the men's crown and Tamara McKinney taking the women's.

Picabo Street broke into tears and kissed the crystal globe symbolizing her World Cup downhill title - the first ever for an American woman. "I didn't know what my reaction would be, but as soon as I held it I started crying," Street said after winning yesterday's final in Bormio, Italy. "I've been waiting for a week now because I knew it was mine. " Street, a 23-year-old from Sun Valley, Idaho, dominated the women's downhill circuit this season, capturing six of the nine downhill races.