Bode Miller's ploy to gain a better starting position backfired when he slammed into a gate and finished fourth Sunday in a World Cup downhill won by Italy's Christof Innerhofer.

Miller missed the compulsory bib draw Saturday and was fined $933 and given the No. 46 starting spot, allowing him to ski when there was more sunlight on the icy Stelvio course.

International Ski Federation President Gian Franco Kasper called Miller's move "a mockery." He said there will be an inquiry to determine whether the New Hampshire skier intentionally skipped the draw.

Innerhofer, the first starter out of the gate, notched his first World Cup victory. He was timed in 2 minutes, 3.55 seconds on a two-mile course icier and harder than usual. Klaus Kroell finished second, 0.32 seconds behind, and fellow Austrian Michael Walchhofer was third, 0.95 back.

"(Sunday) was my day," Innerhofer said. "I raced my first World Cup here and had my first top 10 finish here. Everything started here in Bormio for me."

Top skiers usually are drawn from 15 to 22. Miller said he was absent because he was getting medical attention after a minor injury in training. Miller, who has yet to win this season, added that he didn't mind being penalized.

"It was more my wrist is busted up, and I needed to get it fixed," he said. "I wasn't worried about the repercussions."

The penalty created an hourlong wait between the other top skiers and Miller's run.

Miller finished 1.15 seconds behind. He was faster than Innerhofer through the first two time checks before his entire upper body lashed into a gate at high speed.

WOMEN'S GIANT SLALOM at Semmering, Austria - Julia Mancuso put on her old ski boots and took a big step forward in producing her best outing since back problems slowed her during the fall.

The 2006 Olympic champion from Olympic Valley, Calif., turned in two solid runs that left her in sixth place on the Panorama course. She was 1.27 seconds behind winner Kathrin Zettel of Austria.

Manuela Moelgg of Italy was the runner-up, 0.37 seconds behind. Vail's Lindsey Vonn, the defending overall World Cup champion, was eighth.

Zettel clinched her second title this season and fourth overall after finishing the two runs in 2 minutes, 10.90 seconds.

"The second run could have been better, but I am excited," said Mancuso, who missed a lot of training in the fall because of a sore back and used the Christmas break for additional training.

RESULTS

Women's giant slalom

Sunday

At Semmering, Austria

1. Kathrin Zettel, Austria, 2:10.90 (1:06.30- 1:04.60). 2. Manuela Moelgg, Italy, 2:11.27 (1:06.09-1:05.18). 3. Lara Gut, Switzerland, 2:11.45 (1:07.36-1:04.09). 4. Anja Paerson, Sweden, 2:11.89 (1:06.99-1:04.90). 5. Denise Karbon, Italy, 2:12.03 (1:07.15-1:04.88). 6. Julia Mancuso, United States, 2:12.17 (1:07.00-1:05.17). 7. Elisabeth Goergl, Austria, 2:12.27 (1:06.97-1:05.30). 8. Lindsey Vonn, Vail, 2:12.54 (1:07.14-1:05.40). 9. Maria Riesch, Germany, 2:12.63 (1:06.83-1:05.80). 10. Michaela Kirchgasser, Austria, 2:12.70 (1:07.31-1:05.39).

11. Kathrin Hoelzl, Germany, 2:12.72 (1:07.09- 1:05.63). 12. Ingrid Jacquemod, France, 2:12.90 (1:07.06-1:05.84). 13. Andrea Fischbacher, Austria, 2:12.98 (1:07.92-1:05.06). 14. Tanja Poutiainen, Finland, 2:13.00 (1:06.56-1:06.44). 15. Genevieve Si-

mard, Canada, 2:13.02 (1:08.59-1:04.43). 16. Maria Pietilae-Holmner, Sweden, 2:13.11 (1:07.57- 1:05.54). 17. Nicole Gius, Italy, 2:13.14 (1:07.57- 1:05.57). 18. Tina Maze, Slovenia, 2:13.28 (1:08.21- 1:05.07). 19. Stefanie Koehle, Austria, 2:13.46 (1:08.40-1:05.06). 20. Fabienne Suter, Switzerland, 2:13.62 (1:08.14-1:05.48).

Overall World Cup standings

After 11 events

1. Lindsey Vonn, Vail, 470 points. 2. Tanja Poutiainen, Finland, 418. 3. Maria Riesch, Germany, 407. 4. Anja Paerson, Sweden, 398. 5. Kathrin Zettel, Austria, 372. 6. Nicole Hosp, Austria, 368. 7. Lara Gut, Switzerland, 297. 8. Sarka Zahrobska, Czech Republic, 261. 9. Nadia Fanchini, Italy, 248. 10. Maria Pietilae-Holmner, Sweden, 247.

World Cup giant slalom standings

After four races

1. Tanja Poutiainen, Finland, 278. 2. Kathrin Zettel, Austria, 245. 3. Manuella Moelgg, Italy, 160. 4. Elisabeth Goergl, Austria, 157. 5. Lara Gut, Switzerland, 145. 6. Tessa Worley, France, 137. 7. Maria Pietilae-Holmner, Sweden, 131. 8, tie, Lindsey Vonn, Vail, and Denise Karbon, Italy, 111. 10. Julia Mancuso, United States, 103.

Men's downhill

Sunday

At Bormio, Italy

1. Christof Innerhofer, Italy, 2:03.55. 2. Klaus Kroell, Austria, 2:03.87. 3. Michael Walchhofer, Austria, 2:04.50. 4. Bode Miller, United States, 2:04.70. 5. Didier Cuche, Switzerland, 2:04.88. 6. Erik Guay, Canada, 2:04.93. 7. Werner Heel, Italy, 2:05.01. 8. Daniel Albrecht, Switzerland, 2:05.14. 9. Christoph Gruber, Austria, 2:05.18. 10. Carlo Janka, Switzerland, 2:05.20.

11. Marco Sullivan, United States, 2:05.32. 12. Didier Defago, Switzerland, 2:05.41. 13. Manuel Osborne-Paradis, Canada, 2:05.46. 14. Adrien Theaux, France, 2:05.48. 15. Marco Buechel, Liechtenstein, 2:05.51. 16. Andrej Jerman, Slovenia, 2:05.56. 17. Aksel Lund Svindal, Norway, 2:05.60. 18. David Poisson, France, 2:05.73. 19. Peter Fill, Italy, 2:05.94. 20. Ambrosi Hoffmann, Switzerland, 2:05.99.

Overall World Cup standings

After 14 events

1. Aksel Lund Svindal, Norway, 444 points. 2. Benjamin Raich, Austria, 393. 3. Didier Cuche, Switzerland, 379. 4. Jean-Baptiste Grange, France, 366. 5. Daniel Albrecht, Switzerland, 362. 6. Carlo Janka, Switzerland, 357. 7. Michael Walchhofer, Austria, 350. 8. Didier Defago, Switzerland, 331. 9. Ivica Kostelic, Croatia, 315. 10. Bode Miller, United States, 290.

World Cup downhill standings

After four races

1. Michael Walchhofer, Austria, 225 points. 2. Klaus Kroell, Austria, 215. 3. Erik Guay, Canada, 171. 4. Aksel Lund Svindal, Norway, 150. 5. Peter Fill, Italy, 148. 6. Bode Miller, United States, 145. 7. Christof Innerhofer, Italy, 140. 8. Carlo Janka, Switzerland, 117. 9. Marco Buechel, Liechtenstein, 106. 10. Didier Defago, Switzerland, 98.

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