Raich is one of the world’s best slalom racers, though, and he sliced Miller’s lead by more than half with an aggressive run, always in control down the icy, steep course on the edge of the village of Sestriere.

The fastest combined time in all three runs wins the gold medal.

Miller had the fastest downhill in 1 minute, 38.36 on a course slightly shortened from the one on which he finished a disappointing fifth in Sunday’s downhill medal race.

Miller picked up time through the middle portion of the course Tuesday to finish 32-hundredths of a second ahead of Defago. He was 32nd out of the gate after skipping the Monday training run that determined Tuesday’s starting order.

He delivered the kind of nail-biting run that has made him among the world’s best, making turns on one ski and soaring through jumps.

Miller found a tight line, swiping many of the red gates with his arms as he sped by. The line made for speed — at one point he was clocked at 78 mph.

Slide show   Emotional Moments Feb. 26: See photos of athletes' highs and lows from Sunday.

Within view of the finish line bleachers, Miller nailed the last jump in unusual style. In midair, rather than thrusting out his arms sideways for balance as he often does, he extended them behind his back, his poles sticking straight up. It was a nod to classic form — the kind of form that often eludes Miller.

Re-entering his tuck, a few seconds later Miller had bested Defago’s time.

“He’s got room to breathe,” U.S. men’s coach Phil McNichol said at the time.

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