Austrian Marlies Schild took advantage of blunders by her German rivals to win the first round of slalom at the alpine skiing World Cup event in Levi, Finland, yesterday.
Fifth after the first leg, the 2007 and 2008 World Cup winner in the discipline skied a solid run in the afternoon to snatch her 24th World Cup victory and her 22nd in a slalom.
Despite a commanding lead in the opening run, Germany’s world and Olympic champion Maria Riesch played it too safe in the finale and finished 0.03 seconds behind the Austrian.
Photo: EPA
Third place went to local favorite Tanja Poutiainen, 0.34 seconds off the pace.
German Katharina Duerr, second fastest in the first run, straddled a gate in the second run and went out.
Riesch, fifth in the opening giant slalom of the season in Soelden, Austria, last month, earned the consolation of taking the overall World Cup lead with 125 points.
Photo: EPA
“I just wanted to ski good in the second leg as training for the next races, but when I saw Maria ski down and she was behind, I could not believe it,” Schild said after her victory.
Riesch’s sister Susanne was fourth, while Austria’s Nicole Hosp, skiing her first World Cup slalom in 18 months, finished a promising fifth.
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