2010 Winter Olympics: Bode Miller is rested and ready for super-combi

WHISTLER, British Columbia — After all the talk, the questions and obligations, a postponement sounded just right for Bode Miller.

His Olympic super-combined originally was set for Tuesday but an overnight snowstorm forced organizers to push the race back to Sunday.

Miller opened his games by winning a bronze medal in the downhill Monday, and by the time he was finished with post-race interviews, news conferences, conference calls and medals ceremonies, he wouldn't have had much time to recover for a race the next day.

"It was definitely a long day," U.S. men's head coach Sasha Rearick said. "I didn't go through half the stuff he did but I was still smoked at the end of the day. At 10:30 when I finally got dinner I was like, 'Whoa, long day!' So for sure, having a day off helped."

Miller then won a silver medal in the super-G on Friday and now he's poised to go after his first Olympic gold medal.

Miller took the silver medal in the traditional combined at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games and won the event at the 2003 worlds in St. Moritz, Switzerland. His only victory this season came in the super-combi in Wengen, Switzerland, last month.

"Not to be arrogant but the super-combined is a pretty easy event for me," Miller said at his team's opening news conference at these games. "If I ski anywhere near my potential in either of those events it's rare that I would be off the podium."

For the first time at the Olympics, the combined is being run with one shortened downhill run and one slalom leg. Through the last games, the race always added the times together from one downhill run and two slalom legs.

While the new format favors Miller — he takes so many risks in slalom that having two legs only adds to his chances of going out — he doesn't like it.

"I like the combined better where it's the old-school combined where the downhill is from the top and then there's two runs of slalom and it's a separate race," Miller said.

"It's been a goal of mine since I was a little kid to win a combined where I won the downhill and I won the slalom. I just think that is the overall measure of an overall skier."

Ivica Kostelic is shaping up as Miller's top rival.