Gold medallist Bode Miller (C) of the U.S. celebrates with silver medallist Ivica Kostelic (L) of Croatia and bronze medallist Silvan Zurbriggen of Switzerland at the flower ceremony for the men's Alpine Skiing Super Combined race at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics in Whistler, British Columbia, February 21, 2010. [Xinhua/Reuters]

US skier Bode Miller won the gold medal in the men's Alpine skiing super combined at the Vancouver Winter Olympics.

He finished in two minutes and 44.92 seconds, 0.33 second faster than Croatia's Ivica Kostelic, who won the silver medal. Silvan Zurbriggen of Switzerland took the bronze in 2:45.32.

The 32-year-old American made up for his disappointing Turin trip four years ago, where he won no medals after landing two silvers in the 2002 Olympics.

"I was kind of on fumes. It was mentally and emotionally exhausting to do that after years and years of not doing it," the veteran skier said.

"I had to dig deep to get ready for the race today. You have to rest, get back and recover, which is extra hard for me," he added.

In the nail-biting Alpine skiing competition, Aksel Lund Svindal, who won the gold for Norway in the men's super G, had led after the downhill round and Miller trailed a distant seventh.

But the American, silver medallist behind Svindal in the super G, set the pace with a blistering slalom and Svindal was unable to finish after missing a gate.