Mario Matt wins World Cup slalom

ASPEN, Colo., Nov. 26 (UPI) -- World champion Mario Matt of Austria claimed victory in a World Cup slalom Monday while Bode Miller came home second to give the United States its best result in the discipline in 13 years.

Matt, third in Sunday's season-opening slalom on the same hill, moved to the top of the podium with a two-run combined time of one minute, 39.08 seconds to record his fourth career win and prevent a second consecutive day of upsets.

Miller, who had not reached the finish line of a World Cup slalom in three years, came from start No. 54 to collect his best career result with a time of 1:39.69.

The finish was the best by an American man in a World Cup slalom since Felix McGrath finished runnerup to the Italy's Alberto Tomba in Are, Sweden in 1988.

The last American man to win a World Cup slalom was Steve Mahre in St. Anton, Austria in 1983.

"It's great to be on the podium again," said Miller, whose previous best result was a third in a giant slalom in Val d'Isere, France last season. "It was especially great being here in front of the home crowd."

Frenchman Jean-Pierre Vidal, who scored his first World Cup points with a ninth-place finish Sunday, moved onto the podium for the first time with a clocking of 1:40.06.

Croatia's Ivica Kostelic, who registered one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history on Sunday when he came from a 64th start to claim the victory, finished a respectable fifth in 1:40.23.