Australia'S world No. 1 moguls skier Dale Begg-Smith has wound down his multi-million dollar internet business to concentrate on his Olympic ambitions.

Begg-Smith, 21, will go into tomorrow's Olympic competition a strong favourite after winning three of the past four world cup competitions. "I am more confident in letting it go a bit," he said on Sunday.

While Begg-Smith has been expansive about his medal chances, he has not discussed his business, which is shrouded in secrecy. When asked about his podium chances, he said: "Based on previous results, I am sure that doesn't seem too unfeasible."

But he refused to give the name of his lucrative business, nor details of its operations and size. He did say he had "two or three" employees and that his business wasn't really an issue for his skiing because it had been wound down.

"I haven't spent much time on it, I have let it taper off during the ski season," Begg-Smith said. "There is not much to say, we design technology and stuff like that, some advertising stuff too."

But the companies that Begg-Smith and his older brother and fellow skier, Jason, are involved with deal in some of the most annoying aspects of computers and the web.

Two main companies called AdsCPM and CPM Media appear to be associated with spam, pop-up/under ads, spyware and adware. The companies make money by skimming a small percentage off each time an ad scores a hit or is directed to a client's site.

In a 2002 press release from ValueAd.com, an online advertising and marketing company, Dale Begg-Smith is referred to president of AdsCPM Network.

At that time, AdsCPM Network supplied pop-under advertising to websites. Although they are a source of annoyance to web surfers, pop-under ads are used by many mainstream websites and are perfectly above board.

But there is a dark side to the pop ad business. Hidden programs that launch these ads are sometimes secreted in many websites with "honeypot" offerings - such as pornography, free games, downloads and gambling.

Web surfers visiting these sites can unwittingly become infected with so-called adware that spawns annoying advertisements and which can be used to secretly track a user's web-surfing habits.

Begg-Smith said the figures bandied about his business - one report had him earning $40 million - were inaccurate.

"I don't know where you guys get your numbers from," he said. "I make a decent living, not millions of millions of dollars like some people like to say." Asked whether he flew into Turin in a private jet or a commercial liner, he said: "Economy."

The mystique of Begg-Smith and Jason - who is also on the Australian Olympic team but who is not expected to figure in the medals - started when they emigrated to Australia five years ago from Vancouver.

Jason Begg-Smith said of their close relationship: "We work well together in skiing and business and everything we do works out, we always get along . . . Australia offered the opportunity and flexibility to work and ski and that was important to us. Our parents were really supportive, they supported us in whatever direction we wanted to go."

To become Australian citizens they both had to sit out of competition for two years.

Dale Begg-Smith, now living in South Melbourne, said their time in Australia was limited because "we follow the snow".

"I am an Australian now and very proud to compete for Australia," he said. Both missed the opening ceremony, electing to spend time in Prague before arriving in the Alps on Saturday.

Their parents, ice-skating coach Maddie Begg and Ralph Smith, and sister, former ice-skater Denise Begg-Smith, will be in Sauze d'Oulx to watch them compete in tomorrow's Olympic competition.

With STEPHEN HUTCHEON