SKI SUNDAY (ALL TIMES GMT) Fri 4 Feb 1420-1500 Sun 6 Feb 1615-1700 Fri 11 Feb 1420-1500 Sun 13 Feb 1300-1345

Norway's Aksel Lund Svindal took silver, 0.91 seconds behind Raich after his compatriot Kjetil Andre Aamodt was disqualified for straddling a gate.

That meant Italian Giorgio Rocca moved up to claim a bronze medal.

Defending champion Bode Miller lost a ski in the downhill and failed to make it to the slalom stages.

The 26-year-old Raich still has his favoured events - the slalom and giant slalom - to come, but he was quick to warn his fans of expecting too much.

"So far the world championships have been very good for me, I've got three more discplines to race (including the team event) and I still have a chance for more medals," he said.

I am very sorry for Bode but it was super how he reacted Benjamin Raich

"But I know I'll have to push hard, because my rivals won't be giving me any favours."

Miller, the pre-race favourite, appeared to catch an edge only 15 seconds into the downhill but delighted the crowd by continuing on one ski.

The popular American, the winner of Saturday's super-G, eventually lost his footing and skied off the course before the finish.

Miller said he was not trying to compete once he had lost his ski but simply wanted to finish so he could get two slalom runs under his belt.

"I was going 70 or 75mph at that point so it was a matter of time before I could stop anyway," he said.

"So I took the next turn and then thought I'd see if I could get down to the bottom because the two slalom runs would have been good practice.

That's not worth ending your season for US coach Phil McNichol on Miller's descent

"But then I fell on my ass anyway."

Eventual winner Raich said: "I am very sorry for Bode but it was super how he reacted."

Miller's coach Phil McNichol, however, was less impressed with his charge's response.

"That's not worth ending your season for," McNichol said.

"He wasn't even (in contention) at the first split (time), so I don't care how big his cape is."

And bronze medallist Rocca seemed to think he could do even better.

"If I was in Bode's situation then I might have continued to go down on one ski too, only I'd have gone all the way, maybe swapping the ski onto my other foot halfway down if I was tired!"

Men's combined result:

1. Benjamin Raich (Aut) 3:19.10 (45.85/39.84)
2. Aksel Lund Svindal (Nor) 3:20.01 (46.34/39.97)
3. Giorgio Rocca (Italy) 3:20.08 (46.58/39.20)
4. Michael Walchhofer (Aut) 3:20.55 (47.92/40.87)
5. Silvan Zurbriggen (Swi) 3:20.98 (47.33/39.70)
6. Lasse Kjus (Nor) 3:21.34 (47.85/39.73)
7. Daniel Albrecht (Swi) 3:21.37 (47.51/39.69)
8. Pierrick Bourgeat (Fra) 3:21.53 (47.13/39.58)
9. John Kucera (Can) 3:22.73 (48.72/40.30)
10. Francois Bourque (Can) 3:22.90 (49.15/40.16)

Did not finish slalom first leg:
Kurt Engl (Aut)
Sergey Komarov (Rus)
Alexander Horoshilov (Rus)
Marc Berthod (Swi)
Kurt Engl (Aut)
Krystof Kryzl (Cze)
Bode Miller (US)

Did not finish slalom second leg:
Andrej Sporn (Slo)
Peter Fill (Ita)
Ales Gorza (Slo)