Sauze d’Oulx, Italy ? Jeremy Bloom’s skiing adventure came to a less-than-satisfying close Wednesday when the two-sport star finished sixth in Olympic moguls.

Dale Begg-Smith of Australia won the event, and Mikko Ronkainen took the silver. American Toby Dawson finished third.

American Travis Mayer, the silver medalist in 2002, finished seventh and announced his retirement afterward, while teammate Travis Cabral came in ninth.

Bloom has bigger things on his radar now – starting with a trip to the NFL scouting combine next week.

Bloom’s two years as a football star at the University of Colorado ended after the NCAA ruled he couldn’t accept endorsement money for skiing. Determined not to be pushed around, Bloom dropped out of school and focused on skiing, saying football was his true love but refusing to give up his other passion. To him, the move was as much a matter of principle as practicality. He also wanted to better his ninth-place finish in the 2002 Games.

He won an unprecedented six straight races and the World Cup title last season, positioning himself as the man to beat in 2006.

Alpine skiing

San Sicario, Italy – Michaela Dorfmeister won the women’s downhill for the Olympic gold medal that had eluded her for so long with a dominant run through windy, gloomy conditions in the Italian Alps. American Lindsey Kildow, skiing 48 hours after a horrific crash in a training run put her in a hospital overnight, tied for eighth with Austrian Alexandra Meissnitzer, 1.29 seconds behind the winner. Julia Mancuso was the top U.S. finisher in seventh.

American Jeremy Bloom jumps off the ramp during training for the men's moguls. Bloom finished sixth in the event Wednesday at Sauze d'Oulx, Italy.

Speedskating

Team pursuit

Chad Hedrick’s hope of matching Eric Heiden’s record five gold medals in a Winter Olympics ended Wednesday night when the Americans were eliminated in the quarterfinals of team pursuit.

Short track

Wang Meng gave China an expected gold medal in women’s 500-meter short track, holding off Bulgaria’s Evgenia Radanova by about the length of a skate blade.

Luge

Cesana, Italy – Mark Grimmette and Brian Martin crashed, ending their run for the gold in an unexpected tangle of arms, legs and tears.

Curling

Pinerolo, Italy – Italy shocked the United States, 6-5, and rocked the Olympic curling venue, earning a victory in the men’s opening round. Also, the U.S. women earned their first Olympic victory, beating Denmark, 8-3 – but they’ll need several more to dig out of the hole they fell into when they lost their first three games.

Nordic combined

Pragelato, Italy – The Nordic combined will resume Thursday after the ski jumping portion was halted because of wind.