LENZERHEIDE, Switzerland -- Aksel Lund Svindal of Norway won
the men's World Cup overall title on Sunday after making sure he
finished in the points in the last race of the season.
"The overall World Cup title is the greatest prize there is,"
said Svindal, the first Norwegian in eight years to win the overall
title. "To win it in the last run, in the last race of the season,
is just crazy."
Defending overall champion Benjamin Raich of Austria, who led
after the opening run of the slalom, needed to win the race and
hope that Svindal failed to score any points.
American Bode Miller did not finish the first run, and placed
fourth in the overall standings behind Didier Cuche of Switzerland.
He was knocked out of contention for the overall crown after
Wednesday's downhill.
Svindal was 12th in the opening leg, leaving a slight chance of
victory for Raich with the second leg to go. Only the top 15
finishers score at the final, instead of the usual top-30 in
regular season races. A 15th-place finish is worth 16 points.
Svindal crossed fifth in the second leg with 11 skiers still to
race after him. The Norwegian took the overall title when Sweden's
Markus Larsson, the next skier on the course, finished slower than
him -- assuring Svindal a place in the top 15.
Svindal finished with the minimum result necessary to clinch the
title. Just eight hundredths slower and Svindal would have been
16th and out of the points, costing him Alpine skiing's most
meaningful prize.
Raich won the race, which also earned him the World Cup slalom
crystal globe.
"The way Raich skied today, compliments to him," Svindal said.
"Because I could never take him down when he skis like that. These
days were pretty intense. I feel like a weight has fallen off my
shoulders. Now it's pure happiness."
Just 24 hours ago, Raich looked almost certain to win the
overall title. But the Austrian surrendered the overall lead to
Svindal after swerving off course in Saturday's giant slalom.
Svindal has been unbeatable at this week's World Cup finals,
winning the downhill, super-G and giant slalom races within four
days. In winning the GS, he also snatched Raich's World Cup
discipline crown.
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Associated Press writer Bradley S. Klapper contributed to this
report.