updated 7:45 p.m. ET Feb. 14, 2006

SESTRIERE, Italy - Benjamin Raich was seconds from winning an Olympic gold medal, needing only to negotiate the last gates of his final slalom run.

With archrival Bode Miller disqualified in the first slalom run, Raich led at every interval on the last one in the Alpine combined event.

Within sight of the finish, the 27-year-old Austrian straddled a gate in a small dip.

His race was over, though the cheering crowd didn’t realize it because a large video screen that obscured the course had suddenly gone black.

“I missed this gate. It all went very fast. Suddenly I was off course,” Raich said. “My chances of winning were very high but you have to get to the finish line and I didn’t.

“It is over, but this happens — bad luck,” he added. “Of course, I am sad but life must go on. I have to accept this and look forward.”

The winner of three of the four World Cup combined events this season, Raich had been a heavy favorite for the Olympic title.

Admittedly, he had a mediocre downhill leg that morning, while Miller had nailed it, taking a 0.90-second lead.

But Raich sliced Miller’s advantage by more than half a second with an aggressive opening run in the slalom, always in control down the icy, steep course.

Then, playing right into the Austrian’s hand, Miller was disqualified when a video replay showed he had straddled a gate in the flush, vaulting Raich into the lead.

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But instead of Raich, it was young American Ted Ligety who snatched the gold medal, with Croatia’s Ivica Kostelic placing second and Raich’s teammate, Rainer Schoenfelder, taking the bronze.

“It was an emotional roller coaster all day,” said Austrian men’s head coach Toni Giger. “Bode was so fast in downhill, so we thought there was no chance. Then Bode was disqualified in the first slalom run, so the chance is back again. Then it was a super feeling because Rainer Schoenfelder did so well and went into the lead.

“We knew we would have a medal because there were three guys left and one is Austrian,” Giger added. “The super feeling continues because Beni is leading at the last interval ..."

“And then we only get bronze,” interrupted Austria’s Alpine director, Hans Pum, with a twist of his lips.

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Ligety wasn’t the American that Raich would have expected to beat him.

“I was a little surprised Ted won, but I know he’s a good slalom skier and today he made a good downhill,” Raich said. “And I think it’s a very good winner today.”

At the last World Cup race in Chamonix 11 days ago, Raich was convinced he had clinched the World Cup combined title after winning his third of the season’s four events.

Then he realized there’s no award this year.

The International Ski Federation states that five races of a discipline must be held in a season to award a World Cup title. It will only start giving a crystal globe for the combined next season.

Raich will compete in the slalom and giant slalom at the Turin Games and also is hoping to be selected for Austria’s super-G squad.

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