SOELDEN, Austria — Bode Miller is thinking big.

He won the overall World Cup title last year — as did Lindsey Vonn for a sweep by U.S. men and women — and has his eyes on a couple of other trophies as well with a new season about to begin.

“Winning the slalom and downhill discipline titles are goals as well,” he said.

The season opened Saturday with a women’s giant slalom, followed by a men’s GS today on the Rettenbach glacier.

Miller won for the 31st time on the World Cup circuit last season, becoming the most successful American skier by overtaking Phil Mahre.

With new coach Forest Carey, Miller wants to relive his heyday as a slalom specialist before he shifted most of his energy to the speed disciplines.

One of Miller’s main competitors most likely will be Norway’s Aksel Lund Svindal, his predecessor as overall champion and last year’s winner of the season-opening race in Soelden.

Svindal returns today after missing most of the past season because of a crash during downhill training in Beaver Creek, Colo., in November.

“That compulsory break made me realize how important this sport is to me,” Svindal said. “My main goal now is to find my way back to my old form.”

Didier Cuche of Switzerland and Manfred Moelgg of Italy are also seen as serious contenders. Austrian great Hermann Maier has plenty of respect for Svindal.

“I think Svindal is the strongest of all of us,” said Maier, a four-time overall champion. “He is the strong favorite for Soelden as well as for the entire season.”

Benjamin Raich, who beat Svindal to win the 2006 overall title and finished runner-up behind Miller last year, also calls Svindal a favorite.

On the women’s side, Vonn defends the first overall title for an American racer since Tamara McKinney in 1983.

“I’m ready. We had a really good training camp in New Zealand and Portillo, Chile,” said Vonn, a speed specialist who has been working hard on the technical disciplines. “There’s definitely going to be a lot more pressure and a lot more people expecting me to perform. I just got to stick to my own game plan.”

Vonn’s closest challenger again could be Nicole Hosp, the Austrian won the overall title in 2007 and finished runner-up to Vonn.

Marlies Schild, who dominated the slalom discipline in recent years, was out for the season after breaking her left leg at a training run on the Rettenbach glacier this month.

Other contenders who could go all the way this season include Maria Riesch of Germany, who took third last year; Julia Mancuso of the U.S., who wants to bounce back from an injury-plagued season; and Anja Paerson of Sweden, who changed her equipment supplier in the offseason.

Austrian wins giant slalom

SOELDEN, Austria — Austria’s Kathrin Zettel won the season-opening World Cup giant slalom Saturday while defending overall champion Lindsey Vonn was ninth and Olympic giant slalom champ Julia Mancuso was 17th. Nicole Hosp, a favorite for the overall title, was eighth after the opening run and skied off the course in the second leg.