Hermann Maier confessed his disappointment after claiming silver in the super-G at the World Championships in St Moritz.

Maier finished in the same time as American Bode Miller, and the leading pair watched as Austria's Stephan Eberharter came in 0.77 seconds ahead to snatch gold.

But Maier's achievement is nothing short of remarkable.

The 30-year-old former bricklayer was involved in a motorbike accident 18 months ago in which he almost lost a leg.

I can't be happy when I was going for the title Hermann Maier

He underwent a number of painful operations to insert a titanium rod to pin his leg together and endured months of physiotherapy.

The Austrian finally returned to the slopes in July and stunned the skiing world with victory in a World Cup super-G race in Kitzbuhel in January.

But Maier was in no mood for celebrating after Sunday's race.

"I can't be happy when I was going for the title," he said.

"There was a lot more there for me. I was very careless in the bottom, I threw it away.

"I should have been more aggressive, at one gate I went too wide and that's what made the difference."