EZRA SHAW / Getty Images Ted Ligety, speeding to the end of his second run in his specialty, the slalom, surprised even himself by winning his first Olympic race.

What's Inside U.S. chances tricky to figure Kazakhs earn style points from designers Depend on it: Italian kitchens will work What's hot today Injured Kildow to attempt downhill Wake-up call for women's team Stop the music! It's perfectly OK to take skating timeout Olympic scoreboard More Turin 2006

Land of Ligety

U.S. skier not named Miller wins the combined

By Chris Jenkins
STAFF WRITER

SESTRIERE, Italy – Naturally, the alpine skiing events of the Winter Olympics are staged in the mountains. In the case of these XX Games, that puts them about 90 kilometers away from the official host city. It's a slow, sometimes hairy, trip. Just as naturally, Bode Miller biffed a race again yesterday. As is his nature as well, he tried to make light of his latest botch job, a disqualification that came with him in first place in the men's combined.

By Mark Zeigler
STAFF WRITER

TURIN, Italy – Johnny Weir may try the quadruple jump in tomorrow's free program. Or he may not. It depends. “I could wake up and feel horrible, like Nick Nolte's mug shot,” Weir said as only he can. “In that case, there's no quad.” It's an interesting decision, and about the only sliver of drama left in an Olympic men's figure skating competition that essentially is a one-man show after last night's short program.