Briefly

The International Ski Federation wants the U.S. ski team to address the latest controversy surrounding outspoken reigning overall World Cup champion Bode Miller.

United States Skiing and Snowboard Association President and CEO Bill Marolt is expected to fly to next week’s World Cup races in Switzerland to speak to Miller, who said in a “60 Minutes” interview that partying affected his performance in the past.

U.S. alpine director Jesse Hunt, who was scheduled to join the team in Europe on Tuesday, moved his flight up a day.

“It’s up to his own federation to take action,” FIS secretary general Sarah Lewis said Sunday. “We have talked to the U.S. federation about it, whether what he is saying is good for the image of the sport and good for the image of the U.S. ski team.

“They say they are dealing with it. But with Bode they are on thin ice.”

Miller told the CBS Sunday night program, which released written excerpts Thursday, that “there have been times when I’ve been in really tough shape at the top of the course.”

“Talk about a hard challenge right there. … If you ever tried to ski when you’re wasted, it’s not easy,” Miller said. “Try and ski a slalom when … you hit a gate less than every one second, so it’s risky. You’re putting your life at risk. … It’s like driving drunk, only there are no rules about it in ski racing.”

•At Adelboden, Switzerland, Giorgio Rocca of Italy remained unbeaten in the slalom this season, capturing a men’s World Cup race in which Ted Ligety of the United States finished a career-best second despite a costly mistake on a treacherous and icy slope.

•At Maribor, Slovenia, Austria’s Marlies Schild won her third straight World Cup women’s slalom, with Kristina Koznick fourth and Lindsey Kildow ninth in a good day for U.S. skiers.

•At Ste-Adele, Quebec, Kyle Nissen led Canada to a sweep of the top four spots at a World Cup aerials event while Swiss skiers Evelyne Leu and Manuela Mueller finished 1-2 among the women.

•At Kreischberg, Austria, Philipp Schoch won the men’s parallel giant slalom World Cup race, while fellow Swiss snowboarder Daniela Meuli won the women’s event.

•At Oberhof, Germany, Halvard Hanevold of Norway won the season’s first men’s World Cup 15-kilometer mass start biathlon race, while Martina Glagow won the women’s 12.5K race.

•At Otepaa, Estonia, Bjorn Lind and Lina Andersson of Sweden won sprint events in a World Cup cross country ski meet.

TENNIS

Hingis ready for big test

Martina Hingis knew she eventually would have to play a top player, and now she’s got one – Justin Henin-Hardenne.

Hingis, a five-time Grand Slam singles champion, is rejoining the tour after a three-year absence. She won three matches before losing in the semifinals of her comeback tournament at Gold Coast. Next up is the Sydney International today, with Henin-Hardenne the opponent.

“You can’t hide,” Hingis said. “Sooner or later I have to play a top 10 player, better sooner than later. Win or lose, you know where you’re at.”

Henin-Hardenne, the French Open champion, is seeded fifth. She finished last season at No. 8, her ranking sliding after she injured her right hamstring at the U.S. Open. She played only one match in the last three months.

•At Madras, India, Ivan Ljubicic of Croatia captured the Chennai Open with a 7-6 (6), 6-2 victory over Carlos Moya, who was trying to win the tournament for a third straight year.

•At Adelaide, Australia, France’s Florent Serra won the Adelaide International for his second career ATP title, beating Belgium’s Xavier Malisse 6-3, 6-4.

Boxing

Baldomir wins only WBC crown

Carlos Baldomir is not the undisputed welterweight championship after all.

The boxer who upset champion Zab Judah on Saturday night at New York, won only the WBC version of the title because he never paid the sanctioning fees to the WBA and the IBF.

Baldomir won a unanimous 12-round decision over Judah, but said in the post-fight news conference he didn’t want to pay the other fees.

“My purse was only $100,000,” Baldomir said early Sunday morning. “If I paid each of them the required three percent, I would have come away with nothing.”

Ron Scott Stevens, chairman of the New York State Athletic Commission, said he was unaware that Baldomir did not pay the required fees.