Irina Slutskaya performed a lackluster free program yesterday but held her lead to win her sixth European title, matching the records of figure skating greats Katarina Witt and Sonja Henie.

The Russian did only three triples, fell once and looked slow and uneasy in the event in Turin, Italy. Yet her gold medal gave Russia a sweep in all four events at the arena that will host Olympic skating next year.

Slutskaya said she could not understand what happened since she had skated so well in a season in which she has gone unbeaten. Her victories include one against nine-time U.S. champion Michelle Kwan.

After a stunning, nearly flawless short program the day earlier, Slutskaya had built a huge lead. She ended with 168.71 points. Susanna Poykio of Finland was second with a good routine that included five triples and left her with 158.93 points. Elena Liashenko of Ukraine was third with 158.02. Defending champion Julia Sebestyen of Hungary had a chance to win but dropped to fourth.

Slutskaya also won in 1996, 1997, 2000, 2001 and 2003.

Skiing

Bode Miller was flying off the course and realized he had two choices -- slam on the breaks and make the next turn, or keep going in the same direction for what would have been his ninth unfinished race in his past 14 events.

This time, Miller made the right move midway through his super giant slalom run in Bormio, Italy. He picked up his first victory in six weeks, taking the gold medal to open skiing's world championships.

Miller got away with it because he was far faster than anyone else throughout the rest of the Stelvio course, which he covered in 1 minute, 27.55 seconds. This was Miller's sixth medal in the world championships or Olympics.

Freestyle skiing

American Jeremy Bloom won his second World Cup event in three days and Canada's Jennifer Heil took first in the freestyle dual moguls in Park City, Utah.

Bloom, the former University of Colorado receiver who gave up football to concentrate on skiing and the Turin Olympics, led a U.S. sweep in men's moguls Thursday with his first freestyle World Cup victory of the season.

Bloom picked up his second win when he beat Australia's Dale Begg-Smith in the final run. The only American left after the quarterfinals, Bloom came through for the home crowd at Deer Valley with a near-flawless run in the final.