THE CANADIAN PRESS
LAKE LOUISE, Alta. — American Bode Miller had the fastest time in Thursday’s second day of training for this weekend’s first World Cup downhill race of the season while Erik Guay was the top Canadian in 13th.
Miller cruised over the three-kilometre Men’s Olympic Downhill Run in one minute 45.37 seconds. That sliced 1.85 seconds off the leading time he posted in Wednesday’s training.
The defending overall World Cup champion gathered up his belongings in the finish area and left without acknowledging media requests for interviews.
Austria’s Klaus Kroell was clocked in 1:45.39 for the day’s second fastest time. Didier Cuche of Switzerland, the reigning World Cup downhill champion, was third in 1:45.45.
Guay was timed in 1:46.64. That was close to two seconds faster than his time Wednesday but the Mont-Tremblant, Que., native wasn’t satisfied.
"I’m definitely not happy," he said. "I have one more training run which means I have a lot of work and a lot of studying to do, and lot of time to catch up.
"Today I had some major mistakes. I know more or less where my time was lost. If I can ski better and fix that up, it should get me a bit closer."
John Kucera of Calgary was 15th in 1:46.77 while Manuel Osborne-Paradis of North Vancouver, B.C., was 23rd in 1:47.37.
The season-opening downhill will be held Saturday and a super-giant slalom race on Sunday.
Miller is a controversial figure on the competitive skiing circuit.
After clashing over rules with the U.S. ski team, the 31-year-old Miller formed his own personal squad last year and ended the season with his second overall World Cup title.
He is notorious for doing things his own way.
In his personal blog Miller writes about the Thanksgiving dinner some of the American athletes attend while at Lake Louise.
"They do a group dinner here," Miller wrote. "I might go to it but the food isn’t that great. When you’re not at home it doesn’t really matter, but I’m used to it by now."
The racers who rub shoulders with Miller see a different side of the man.
"There is probably a Bode you don’t see," said Guay. "He’s super laid-back, easy to get along with. He’s not a guy who will talk smack or anything like that.
"He likes to do his own thing. He tries not to speak to the media until it’s done. He knows he’s done well for two training runs but the day that counts is Saturday. That’s when he wants to throw down."
Austria’s Michael Walchhofer, who has won the Lake Louise downhill, called Miller "a good guy."
"I have no problem with him," said Walchhofer, who was seventh in training. "We can have a lot of small talk. It’s just small talk (but) good small talk."
Kucera, who won the super-G here two years ago, said he would be studying video to figure out where can make up some more time.
"It was getting pretty rough and I got rocked around a lot," he said. "I’m not really happy with today but I’ve got another day to figure it out before race day."
Osborne-Paradis, who was disqualified from Wednesday’s training after missing a gate, was testing some different skis but also was tossed around by some bumps.
"It’s disappointing to be that far back but at the same time I was having problems the whole way down," he said. "I wasn’t feeling that confident.
"Generally my first training runs are not my fastest. I can usually make up time."
Of the other Canadians in the field of 90 racers, Francois Bourque of New Richmond, Que. was 52th in 1:48.49; Louis-Pierre Helie of Berthierville, Que., 63rd in 1:49.07; Jeffrey Frisch of Mont-Tremblant, 70th in 1:49.88; and Paul Stutz of Banff, Alta., 81st in 1:52.41.