Benjamin Raich of Austria won a record third World Cup slalom race on the famous Planai course Tuesday to regain control of the overall standings.
Raich capitalized on the misfortune of Ivica Kostelic and Bode Miller to win with a two-run combined time of 1 minute, 41.67 seconds.
The Austrian is the only skier with three wins at on the Planai, considered the most difficult slalom course on the World Cup circuit. He also won in 1999 and 2001.
"This is the greatest day in my life," Raich said. "It's a dream come true. I cannot believe I have actually won, although I knew I could do it. Each win is wonderful, but winning in front of my home fans is fantastic. I could feel the power of the fans from the first to the last gate."
Raich was only third in the opening run and trailed Miller by a massive 1.02 seconds.
But Raich, lifted by the roar of more than 41,000 fans echoing across the mountain, delivered an inspired second effort on the floodlit course. He then watched and waited as the last two skiers attacked the course.
Kostelic had a strong start but ended up in an agonized heap after doing a wheelie, flying into the air and landing heavily on his hip and shoulder. He was tended to by medics and then packed into a sled and slowly transported down the steep, icy slope.
Miller, who dominated the opening leg, was forced to wait 15 minutes in the start hut before his run because of Kostelic's crash. Meanwhile, falling snow changed the course surface. When Miller was given the green light to run, the course had gotten slick and he had no grip.
Team coaches had called for "slippers" to slide down sideways and help clear the newly-fallen snow, but they only treated the stretch where Kostelic had fallen.
In the end, Miller delivered one of the slowest second runs and dropped into fourth place in 1:42.37.
"Bode probably had a hard time with waiting and watching what was going on down on the course," Raich said. "Maybe tonight I had it a little bit easier."
Miller had been seeking to end a two-year victory drought. He has not won a slalom since triumphing here.
"The second run with that hold, it was just a bad break," Miller said.
Though he has dominated the giant slalom, Miller has failed to finish four of the season's six slalom races. He went out in three speed races in Beaver Creek and veered off course in a giant slalom in Flachau.
Croatian team officials said Kostelic had injured his left shoulder and right knee, and bruised his hip. They said his knee might require surgery in Schruns. Italian youngster Manfred Moelgg had an impressive second leg, climbing from sixth to second in 1:42.24.
"It's a great feeling, especially with 40,000 people watching," said Moelgg, who was skiing in only his eighth World Cup slalom. "My legs felt great and I decided to ski the second leg relaxed, even though I was in a good position in sixth after the first leg."
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