Miller shines on hockey-fueled 'Super Sunday'

American dominance of the Olympic pistes continued with Bode Miller surging to the men's super-combined gold on a hockey-fueled Sunday that sees Canada's superstar team take on arch-rival the United States.

Miller came home ahead of Croatian Ivica Kostelic and Silvan Zurbriggen of Switzerland in a combined total over a downhill and slalom of 2min 44.92sec for the United States' eighth medal out of a possible 18 from six alpine disciplines so far.

"I can't ask for anything more," said Miller, the reformed bad boy of skiing, who last week won super-G silver and downhill bronze.

Norway's Aksel Lund Svindal, the reigning world super-combined champion, led after the downhill portion but skied out of the slalom in sight of the finish line, while American reigning Olympic champion Ted Ligety came fifth.

There was more disappointment for Austria, whose men failed to medal in the alpine speed disciplines, with pre-race favourite Benjamin Raich ending sixth.

Olympic figure skaters, meanwhile, rallied around devastated Canadian champion Joannie Rochette after her mother died just two days before she is just due to compete.

Many learnt the news of 55-year-old Therese Rochette's death from a heart attack after leaving their practise session on the rink at the Pacific Coliseum.

"I just hope that she can get through this quickly and get back into competition," said South Korean star Kim Yu-Na, the gold medal favourite and world champion.

In the men's 15km mass start biathlon, an unbelieving Evgeny Ustyugov realised a long held dream by winning gold for Russia.

The 24-year-old's winning time of 35min 35.7sec was enough to see him home ahead of France's Martin Fourcade and Slovakian Pavol Hurajt by more than 10 seconds.

"It hasn't sunk in yet. I still don't understand that I've won the gold," said Ustyugov, ranked third in the world.

The exciting sport of ski cross made its Olympic bow at Cypress Mountain with Switzerland's Michael Schmid landing the inaugural gold in an event that pits four racers against each other down a motocross-style course.

Austria's Andreas Matt took silver and Norway's Audun Groenvold the bronze with Canada's fancied Christopher Del Bosco crashing in the final.

Another three titles are decided Sunday with Germany 1 pilot Andre Lange on course for a fourth Olympic gold in the two-man bobsleigh.

With brakeman Kevin Kuske, he heads into the final on the treacherous Whistler Sliding Centre track in pole position.

Christine Nesbitt seeks an Olympic golden double in the 1,500m speedskating final, but teammates who make a Canadian podium sweep possible are among the top rivals blocking her path.

Other medals are at stake in the women's 12.5km mass start biathlon, but it is hockey that has Canadians excited with big crowds in party mood swarming downtown Vancouver.

Billed as 'Super Sunday', the puck dropped with Russia playing the Czech Republic followed by the United States against Canada and Sweden facing Finland with the outcomes determining which four teams earn byes into the playoff quarter-finals.

Sweden beat Finland for 2006 Turin gold while Canada snapped a 50-year Olympic gold drought in 2002 by denying a US title on home ice and the Czechs beat Russia in 1998's debut of National Hockey League talent in the Games.

"Every TV set in Canada is going to be tuned in. This is going to be unbelievable," said US coach Ron Wilson.