Miller trails only Austrians Hermann Maier and Stephan Eberharter at the top of the standings.

SESTRIERE, Italy (AP) – Daron Rahlves is the United States ski team’s Californian king of speed.

Bode Miller is a New Hampshire-born technical specialist who studies his turns and handles curves unlike anyone else in the world.

The two American stars come from opposite coasts and have completely different goals in this week’s World Cup Finals.

On Wednesday, they also had results on both ends of the spectrum.

Rahlves won the final downhill of what is looking like his finest season. Miller finished out of the points in 22nd place and dropped to third in the hotly contested race for the overall World Cup title.

Rahlves is currently fifth in the overall standings, one slot higher than his previous best finish of sixth place last year.

Already eliminated from each of the title races, he had little else on his mind besides winning the final downhill of the season. “This is the way I want to end my season,” Rahlves said. “After that first jump the course just got faster and faster and I just kept looking for more speed.”

The victory secured Rahlves second place in the season’s final downhill standings.

“My goal was to win the downhill title but I had a good all around season,” he said. “It gives me a huge lift for next season.”

Rahlves was also excited, knowing this will be the course used for the 2006 Turin Olympics.

“If the hill is prepared like this, it’s going to be fast and tough, so I’m psyched, because that’s what I like,” he said.

Miller’s main career goal is not an Olympic gold medal. He has his eyes set on the overall World Cup trophy. Olympic races only measure a single day’s performance, while the overall title encompasses an entire season, he frequently points out.

With 1,098 points, Miller trails only Austrians Hermann Maier (1,165) and Stephan Eberharter (1,143) at the top of the standings.

Eberharter finished third Wednesday and Maier was a surprising 18th.

Only the top 15 finishers receive points at the World Cup Finals, so neither Maier nor Miller scored in the downhill. Eberharter’s result vaulted him ahead of Miller.

“It’s tough when you have to be in the top 15 and everyone is charging,” Miller said. “You have to have a clean run. You have to be charging and attacking and not making mistakes. It’s disappointing not to score points, but I was taking some risks today. To make errors when you’re taking risks is acceptable I suppose.”

Miller’s forte is not downhill. He excels in giant slalom and slalom, the final two events Saturday and Sunday.

“I think I’m capable of winning the slalom and GS,” Miller said.

“Who knows what is going to happen. I know Hermann and Eberharter are going to try to win the super-G and GS.”

First up is Thursday’s super-G and Miller’s chances in that race may not be much better than the downhill.

Miller has struggled in super-G all season. His best result was 17th.

“I hope (my chances) are better now because I didn’t score any points here,” he said. “I can ski super-G well, I just haven’t been scoring well this year, so it’s going to be a question mark tomorrow.”

Miller and Maier were racing the downhill course for the first time, and with only one training session were at a disadvantage to some competitors.

“Both Hermann and I suffered,” Miller said. “It’s a downhill race though, so I’m not too disappointed.”

Rahlves said that “waiting for the other guys to screw up” is a bad tactic for Miller.

“He’s got to win it on his own merit,” Rahlves said. “He could make up 200 points in two events though.”

Next season, Rahlves wants to be involved in a few title races himself at the finals.

Besides going for the downhill and super-G titles, Rahlves said he is also “going to think big about the overall.”

That would put the two Americans from opposite coasts with opposite specialties on the same course.

AP-ES-03-10-04 1924EST