SESTRIERE, Italy (AP) – The Olympic records are piling up for Kjetil Andre Aamodt faster than the snow in the Italian Alps.

He’s the oldest Alpine skiing champion, and he’s the winningest.

“It’s an amazing feeling, and I’m just in it for the love of the sport,” the Norwegian superstar said Saturday after successfully defending the men’s super-G title for his eighth Olympic Alpine medal. “I’ve been fortunate on all of the big events to be on the podium several times.”

All his experience – 21 World Cup wins in a career stretching back to 1989 – proved invaluable in the super-G, when Aamodt had to overcome creaky knees, a weak ankle and a rare same-day restart forced by morning snow and fog.

He simply outwaited the weather – and then outran the field.

Aamodt, who was unable to defend his combined title earlier this week after hurting his knee in the downhill, covered the sun-drenched course in 1 minute, 30.65 seconds, just 0.13 in front of heavy favorite Hermann Maier of Austria, the World Cup super-G leader. Switzerland’s Ambrosi Hoffmann took the bronze, 0.33 back.

“Probably I’m the youngest and oldest Olympic champion on the men’s side,” said Aamodt, who returned to racing last season after a broken ankle threatened to end his career.

Almost.

At 34, he’s the oldest by two years; Stephan Eberharter was 32 when he won the giant slalom in Salt Lake City in 2002. But Aamodt was not quite the youngest; at 20 when he won the super-G at Albertville in 1992, he was just three months older than Toni Sailer of Austria, the 1956 downhill, giant slalom and slalom winner.

The Alpine records themselves are a combination of longevity and superiority:

• He already had the most medals; this year’s super-G just adds to the total.

• The super-G triple in 1992, 2002 and 2006 makes him the first man to win the same event in three Olympics.

• Along with the combined gold in Salt Lake City, he’s the only man to win four Alpine golds.

• He is the only skier – man or woman – to successfully defend the super-G since it was included in the Winter Games at Calgary in 1988, and he’s only the second man to successfully defend any Olympic skiing title. Italy’s Alberto Tomba won the giant slalom in 1988 and 1992.

Aamodt stretched and sprained ligaments in his left knee when he awkwardly landed a jump at the top of the men’s downhill Sunday, although he still managed to finish fourth. Skipping the combined helped Aamodt rebound, but the knee still hurt in the super-G.

“I thought the Olympics was over when I landed on the first jump. It was a lot of pain in my knee,” he said. “I was smart not to do the combined, and try to be ready for today.”

Aamodt seemed most pleased with beating the mighty Maier.

“Today was a great thing to defend my title with The Herminator in the second spot – you know, the greatest super-G skier of all time,” Aamodt said.

Maier, who won the super-G and giant slalom titles at the 1998 Olympics in Nagano after his famously spectacular crash in the downhill, missed the 2002 Games after shattering his legs in a motorcycle accident.

“I was very glad to be able to take part in these Olympic Games, and I’m even happier to win a silver medal,” he said.

Bode Miller’s Olympic struggles continued.

Miller, who last year became the first American in 22 years to win the World Cup overall title, was already 0.46 back at the second interval when he failed to take a turn properly and veered off his line straight into a gate. He remained upright on his right ski with the other flailing wildly at odd angles behind him, striking the ground and threatening to knock him off balance, but he managed to get his second ski back on the ground and braked.

Miller has now failed to medal in the three Olympic races so far. He was fifth in the downhill and was disqualified from the combined after straddling a gate. After failing to complete the super-G, he avoided reporters waiting for him in the finish area.