Sochi, Russia – Sunday was bittersweet for Croatian ski racer Ivica Kostelic, as he won Sunday’s final World Cup super combined race of the season in Sochi but is now out for at least several weeks following knee surgery in Basel, Switzerland today.

Doctors indicate that Kostelic first damaged his knee while landing big jumps in Saturday’s downhill. They say that the cartilage was further torn during the slalom portion of Sunday’s super combined. Kostelic skipped out on Sunday’s post-race press conference, opting instead to head to the hospital where an MRI confirmed the injury to his right knee.

Swiss racer Beat Fuez, who won Saturday’s downhill on Sochi, finished second on Sunday to move within 70 points of Kostelic in the overall chase. He’ll have a chance to gain further ground on Kostelic, who underwent knee surgery on Monday to repair cartilage torn in Sunday’s race and hopes to be back on the World Cup tour by early March, according to a statement issued today by the Croatian ski association. Kostelic edged out Fuez 336 points to 300 for the super combined title.

Franconia, N.H.’s Bode Miller rocketed to fourth in the downhill half of Sunday’s super combined but was bounced out of the slalom. Ted Ligety, of Park City, Utah and Spokane, Wash.’s Will Brandenburg also went out in Sunday’s slalom. No Canadian men entered Sunday’s race.

The men’s World Cup tour moves to Bansko, Bulgaria for a giant slalom and slalom this weekend.

OFFICIAL RESULTS
Audi FIS Alpine World Cup
Sochi, Russia – Feb. 12, 2012
Men’s Super Combined