Winter sports: Raich conquers tough course

VAL D'ISERE, France — Benjamin Raich of Austria won the World Cup super-combi Friday on a tough course that Bode Miller couldn't finish and gave Ted Ligety fits.

In the opening super-G, defending champion Miller mistimed a gate near the midsection, spinning around a pole before sitting down. Miller banged his ankle but should be ready to compete in the giant slalom this weekend, U.S. team officials said.

In the slalom run, American Ligety skied too wide on two gates and finished 27th on the tricky Face de Bellevarde course.

"I'm not so much disappointed as I am annoyed," Ligety said. "It wasn't easy because it was so tight, and the snow was inconsistent."

Raich finished in 51.07 seconds for a combined time of 2 minutes, 2.48 seconds.. Jean-Baptiste Grange of France was second and Marcel Hirscher of Austria was third.

SVENDSEN, HAUSWALD WIN BIATHLON SPRINT: At Hochfilzen, Austria, Emil Hegle Svendsen of Norway claimed his second-straight World Cup 10-kilometer sprint victory Friday, while Simone Hauswald of Germany won the women's race for her first World Cup title.

Svendsen shot flawlessly and finished in 26 minutes, 8.1 seconds for his eighth World Cup title.

UPPERTON WINS BOBSLED RACE: At Igls, Austria, Helen Upperton of Canada won a bobsled World Cup race Friday to take the lead in the overall standings.