Skiing: Slalom globe for Herbst

Herbst: Slalom title

Austria's disappointing season on the slopes ended on a high note when Reinfried Herbst clinched the World Cup slalom title.

Herbst finished ninth in the final race of the season at Garmisch-Partenkirchen to edge out fourth-placed Frenchman Julien Lizeroux in the final standings by 22 points.

Germany's Felix Neureuther won the race with his second victory of the season and career, with Manfred Pranger of Austria second and Andre Myhrer of Sweden third.

"It's amazing to win and it was very important to win this for Austria and for our coaches," said 31-year-old Herbst.

"I'm happy to have won the title although it was one of my worst performances this season.

"I was very tired and my legs were shaking on the way down. I was a nervous wreck waiting at the finish line but it all came right in the end."

Neureuther's race win also provided a promising end to the season and relieved some of the pressure on the 25-year-old, who has expressed frustration in the past at the high demands put on him because of his family connections.

His father, Christian, won six World Cup races and his mother Rosi Mittermaier, a former World Cup champion, won two gold medals at the 1976 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck.

Result:
1. Felix Neureuther (Germany) 50.50 53.13 1:43.63
2. Manfred Pranger (Austria) 49.85 54.07 1:43.92
3. Andre Myhrer (Sweden) 50.08 53.90 1:43.98
4. Julien Lizeroux (France) 50.90 53.18 1:44.08
5. Michael Janyk (Canada) 50.34 53.84 1:44.18
6. Julien Cousineau (Canada) 49.94 54.39 1:44.33
7. Silvan Zurbriggen (Switzerland) 50.85 53.81 1:44.66
8. Manfred Moelgg (Italy) 50.76 54.16 1:44.92
9. Reinfried Herbst (Austria) 50.92 54.45 1:45.37
10. Ivica Kostelic (Croatia) 51.72 53.71 1:45.43

Slalom standings
1. Reinfried Herbst (Austria) 534 points
2. Julien Lizeroux (France) 512
3. Silvan Zurbriggen (Switzerland) 365
4. Ivica Kostelic (Croatia) 360
5. Felix Neureuther (Germany) 329

Overall standings
1. Carlo Janka (Switzerland) 1197 points
2. Benjamin Raich (Austria) 1091
3. Didier Cuche (Switzerland) 952
4. Aksel Lund Svindal (Norway) 883
5. Ivica Kostelic (Croatia) 805