Miller out to defend super-G crown

By Patrick Vignal

ARE, Sweden (Reuters) - Saturday's opening super-G presents Bode Miller with the first test of a world championship campaign that could end in dazzling success or fizzle out in failure.

The American showman, famous for his daredevil approach to racing, has what it takes to become the first Alpine skier to win a world gold medal in all five disciplines.

The uncompromising 29-year-old is equally capable of returning home empty-handed, like he did from last year's Winter Games in Turin.

At the previous world championships, two years ago in Bormio, Italy, it was the unstoppable Miller who turned up and stole the show from the mighty Austrians by winning gold in downhill and super-G.

The winner of two of the three super-Gs staged this winter, Miller has to be regarded as the favorite in Are, providing he reaches the finish area.

Miller will need also to keep an eye on Austrian Hermann Maier, whose only podium finish this season was in a super-G.

Once in a class of his own in that event, the 34-year-old Maier is no longer the awe-inspiring skier of old but remains a top competitor and has unique experience from big events.

UNPREDICTABLE EVENT

Other ones to watch include Canada's John Kucera, the surprise winner of the season's opening super-G in Lake Louise, rising Italian Peter Fill, Norwegian all-rounder Aksel Lund Svindal and Antoine Deneriaz, the Olympic downhill champion.

Frenchman Deneriaz has posted his best results this season in super-G and is dreaming of a medal on Saturday to salvage a frustrating winter.

Introduced at major championships in the late 1980s to answer the call for another speed event, the super-G is basically a downhill with a few more turns.

It is an unpredictable event because there are no training runs, unlike in downhill, and competitors virtually discover the track as they ski down on race day.

Risks are needed but have to be carefully calculated, which is exactly why Miller could win but is not at all certain of completing Saturday's event.

There is also a question mark over the weather. Plenty of snow has fallen over this Swedish resort but wind and poor visibility are now threatening to disturb the February 3-18 championships.