By USOC

Bode Miller (Franconia, N.H.) won the bronze medal in men’s downhill skiing at Whistler Creekside Monday afternoon. He got down the hill in a time of 1:54.40, a mere 0.09 behind gold medalist Didier Defago of Switzerland, who posted a 1:54.31. Miller was just 0.02 seconds away from the silver medal, which went to Aksel Lund Svindal of Norway.

Miller’s medal is the first for the US in the event since Tommy Moe’s gold medal at the 1994 Lillehammer Olympic Winter Games and only the third overall. Bill Johnson’s gold at the 1984 Sarajevo Olympic Winter Games was the first time an American medaled in the event.

The time margin between gold and bronze is the smallest in the event’s history, surpassing the 0.11-second interval between Austrian Patrick Ortlieb’s gold and countryman’s Gunther Mader bronze at the 1992 Albertville Olympic Winter Games.

Steven Nyman (Sundance, Utah) was 20th with a time of 1:55.71. Right behind him was teammate Andrew Weibrecht (Lake Placid, N.Y.), who was 21st with a 1:55.74. Marco Sullivan (Squaw Valley, Calif.) took a tumble in the bottom portion of the course but was able to complete his run, finishing 60th with a time of 2:07.76.