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Dorfmeister wins giant slalom
SESTRIERE, Italy (AP) -- It was an ordinary day of triumphs for the powerful Austrian team. Michaela Dorfmeister dominated a women's World Cup giant slalom Saturday, adding her second season victory to an Austrian sweep of the top four places, led by Hermann Maier, in the men's downhill at nearby Val D'Isere. Dorfmeister, the defending GS champion, beat Sweden's Anja Paerson by 0.83 seconds and third-place Swiss Sonja Nef by 0.87 in this Italian Alpine resort. The Austrian skier clocked a winning combined time of two minutes, 19.88 seconds down the Sises course which had a mix of soft and icy sections. "It was an easy race on a perfect course. I got the right speed from the steep part," the winner said. "The super-G win in Aspen boosted my confidence. I feel stronger than last season in Super-G and as strong as last season in giant slalom," Dorfmeister said. She won the super giant slalom in Aspen last month. Saturday's first place improved her World Cup career record to nine wins. Germany's Martina Ertl placed fourth, strengthening her position atop the overall standings. Ertl, who trailed the winner by 2.17 seconds, piled up 510 points. France's Regine Cavagnoud, a distant 16th Saturday, was second overall with 439. Dorfmeister moved to third with 396. Defending World Cup champion Renate Goetschl made a streak of mistakes in the second run, nearly fell and ended 28th, slipping to seventh in the points table, with 259. For Paerson, who vaulted atop the giant slalom standings with 200 points, it was the third podium finish following two third places in GS races at Soelden and Park City. Nef, who clocked the fastest second run time in 1:11.71, said an overly cautious first run prevented her from repeating last year's GS victory at Sestriere. "I'm not disappointed. I feel stronger than last season, and I have great hopes about the World Cup and the Championships," the Swiss skier said. The Alpine World Championships are scheduled at St. Anton, Austria, in February. Janica Kostelic of Croatia, a slalom specialist, did well in the first run designed by her father Ante and finished fifth ahead of Canada's Allison Forsyth. Spain's Maria Jose Rienda Contreras, with an impressive second run, vaulted herself from 17th to 8th place. Kristina Koznick was the top U.S. finisher, in 20th place. Her teammate Sarah Schleper placed 27th. Saturday's race, the third giant slalom of the women's season, was originally scheduled in Val D'Isere, France. It was moved to Italy for difficult snow condition in the French resort. Lack of snow also forced cancellation of a men's downhill race in Val Gardena, Italy, next Saturday. The Sestriere meet, at the venue which hosted the 1997 Alpine World Championships and will be the scene of the 2006 Winter Olympics, continues with a women's slalom Sunday and a men's night slalom Monday.
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