Downhill double

Salt Lake favorite Gerg races to back-to-back wins

Hilde Gerg: "I knew I had to risk a lot and that's what I did. It went really well for me." Zoom Sports/Getty Images

SAALBACH-HINTERGLEMM, Austria (AP) -- German Hilde Gerg won her second World Cup downhill in two days on Saturday to establish herself as a leading medal contender at next month's Salt Lake City Olympics.

Gerg swept down the Zwoelferkogl course in 1 minute 22.31 seconds ahead of three Austrians. Renate Goetschl finished second, .05 seconds behind, followed by Michaela Dorfmeister and Brigitte Obermoser, who shared fourth place with Sweden's Pernilla Wiberg.

"It was a good run and a good result," said Gerg. "I was a bit surprised and a bit proud to have won the double downhill. It doesn't happen very often and not many people manage to do it."

Goetschl challenged Gerg's times over the upper and middle sections of the course, but fell back in the final stretch to finish in second place.

"I tried to be more relaxed on the top today and I think it worked for me," said Goetschl, whose last downhill victory dates back to last January. "Slowly I am getting the feeling back that I can ski really well."

World Cup downhill leader Isolde Kostner of Italy had another disappointing run, finishing sixth, .73 behind.

Gerg, 26, is returning to top form after a niggling leg injury that kept her sidelined for most of 2000. She was considering retiring from racing before finishing a surprise third in the super-G at the St. Anton world championship last February and winning the downhill at the World Cup finals in Are a month later.

"I am in good form at the moment and generally feel good about everything," the extrovert German said.

In contrast, Goetschl and Dorfmeister were visibly relieved to be on the podium.

The Austrian women have come under fire over the last month for performing short of expectations.

Asked if getting beaten by a mere .05 seconds bothered her, Goetschl, a stalwart on the Austrian team, laughed.

"I'm happy to be back on the podium," she said. "It's been a long way back, and I don't think about it being such a small margin."

Gerg, Goetschl and Dorfmeister change skis and join slalom racers on Sunday in the hope of picking up more World Cup points in the combined race.

The combined, which matches times in the downhill and slalom, carries the same points as other World Cup races.

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