SESTRIERE, Italy (AP) – Hermann Maier has recaptured the form that earned him the nickname “The Herminator” less than three years after nearly losing his leg in a motorcycle accident.

Maier won the last super giant slalom of the season at the World Cup Finals on Thursday and increased his lead in the overall standings. American Bode Miller missed a gate near the end of the run and finished out of the points for the second straight day, slipping to fourth in the overall standings.

Maier covered one of the circuit’s toughest layouts in 1 minute, 18.73 seconds, 0.63 seconds ahead of fellow Austrian Stephan Eberharter. He had secured the Super G in Garmisch on Feb. 1 for his first title of since the August 2001 accident.

“Today was my best race since my comeback, it was perfect,” the 31-year-old Maier said.

Austria’s Renate Goetschl won the women’s Super G title with a seventh-place finish, her second discipline title of the four-race finals. But her chances of winning the overall title were hurt by finishing just behind leader Anja Paerson.

Maier extended his overall lead to 42 points over Eberharter.

While other skiers took wide turns or made difficult landings on tricky jumps, Maier had no problem, even when leaning on his reconstructed leg.

On the final jump, which calls for a perfect landing and an immediate turn, Maier was spectacular.

“I was surprised by the big jump today,” he said. “I was three meters over the earth.”

Maier’s countryman, Christoph Gruber, finished third, and Benjamin Raich completed the Austria’s sweep of the top four spots.

With just the giant slalom and slalom remaining and victories worth 100 points each, Maier leads the overall with 1,265 points. Eberharter is next with 1,223, and Raich has 1,113. Miller has 1,098. Despite having clinched the Super G title, Maier had to wait until after Thursday’s race to lift the small crystal globe trophy.

“I was trying to remember the last time I won a globe,” Maier said of the emotion he felt while standing on the podium. “I guess it was 2001. The accident, everything was going through my mind.”

Maier won four straight Super G titles before the accident. Since returning to the circuit late last season, he has become more relaxed.

“I enjoy the skiing more now. I don’t feel any pressure,” he said. “If I have a bad run, I’m angry with myself, but it’s not that bad.”

Miller was relaxed as he looked forward to the final races of the season.

“You don’t lose the overall in the last races of the season,” Miller said. “It’s an accumulation of your results all season.

“It would have been a bonus if I had scored points today or in yesterday’s downhill, but the truth is, if I lose it, it would be the Park City slalom (where he fell and was disqualified), or in Flachau where I walked away without any points over the weekend. If I had left Flachau with 180 points I’d be in the lead right now.

“The plan doesn’t change, I’ll still try to win the GS and slalom.”

Maier said that Miller has a good chance to win the final two races. But he had another skier in mind when asked about the overall favorite.

“Myself,” he said.

In the women’s Super G, Switzerland’s Nadia Styger won her first World Cup race.

Styger won in 1:25.53, just ahead of Germany’s Maria Riesch’s 1:25.85. Austria’s Michaela Dorfmeister was third in 1:25.89.

Goetschl’s seventh-place finish was enough to stay ahead of France’s Carole Montillet and Germany’s Hilde Gerg in the race for the Super G title.

Paerson’s best career Super G result extended her lead in the overall to 77 points. Paerson is the favorite in the weekend’s technical events.

Goetschl won the downhill race and title on Wednesday.

AP-ES-03-11-04 1637EST