Reuzeslalom vrouwen Kranjska Gora

Nicole Hosp climbed to the top of the World Cup giant slalom standings with a win at Kranjska Gora, claiming her first victory of the season in front of Italy's Nicole Gius and Finland's Tanja Poutiainen. Hosp's Austrian compatriot Kathrin Zettel skied out after the first run to lose the red bib.

As her team mates faltered on the tough, icy course, Hosp kept her feet to clock two minutes 9.85 seconds and overtake Zettel in the discipline standings.

Zettel and fellow Austrians Marlies Schild and Renate Goetschl all failed to finish the first leg. Schild clung on to the overall cup lead, though Hosp moved up to just 33 points behind her.

Olympic champion Julia Mancuso of the United States was another first-leg casualty after missing a gate and climbing back up the hill to resume her race. Though she finished, she missed the cut.

Gius had the best World Cup result of her career with second place, 0.43 seconds behind Hosp.

Hosp, 23, had had four second places this season but had not won a race since last March.

It was the Austrian women's third win in as many giant slaloms this season -- Zettel had won both previous races -- and their 10th win in 15 events this season.

Gius, whose only previous appearance on the podium in nine years on the World Cup came with a third place in a slalom in December 2002, said she, too, had been waiting a long time for success.

Poutiainen had been second behind Hosp after the first run but a slow second leg put paid to her hopes.

Giant slalom World Cup holder Anja Paerson of Sweden, who has struggled since undergoing knee surgery in March, finished 12th, 2.02 seconds off the pace.

There was disappointment too for Briton Chemmy Alcott who had cherished hopes of a career-best finish after setting the third fastest time in the first leg. An error-strewn second run pushed her down to 16th place, 3.19 seconds behind.

Saturday's race, and Sunday's slalom, were moved across Slovenia from Maribor which had insufficient snow.

Bron : eurosport.com