Skiing: Schild wins again

Austrian Marlies Schild claimed victory in the women's World Cup slalom staged at Courchevel for the first time in 31 years.

Second slalom victory of the season for Austrian in Courchevel

Austrian Marlies Schild claimed victory in the women's World Cup slalom staged at Courchevel for the first time in 31 years on Tuesday. Schild was in second place behind Tanja Poutiainen of Finland after the first descent but stormed to victory in one minute 34.95 seconds, with Poutianen 0.78secs back in second. Tina Maze of Slovenia had taken the lead after an attacking second run but Schild bettered her combined time by almost two seconds, leaving Poutiainen with a mountain to climb. It is Schild's second slalom victory of the season after she won in Levi, Finland last month and her 25th in all, putting her level on points with Poutiainen in the standings. "It was a really good performance," said Schild, who skied with a shoulder injury picked up in practice. "I was skiing really hard on the limit on the flat part. I always try to make speed, get faster. "At the moment it hurts. It was a little mistake in the morning. I crashed in the warmup. I will look after it tomorrow, but I don't think anything is broken." Remarkably, younger sister Bernadette had the second-fastest second run to finish seventh. "She did really well. I thought 'If she can ski on the limit in this run, so can I," added Marlies. "She's nine years younger than me - I have to keep in shape to be faster than her in the next races!"

Crashed out

Both Lindsey Vonn and Maria Riesch failed to qualify for the second run at the popular French resort after crashing out in the morning session. World and Olympic champion Riesch was going well only to straddle a gate on the lower section, while the American lost a ski when running straight into a gate. Vonn blamed the course set-up for her error, saying: "It's a very tricky course. I mean, honestly, it's a course that is (meant) to take people out. "It's unfortunate because I don't think it looks very good on TV, and for the athletes it's not as fun. "It's a challenging course and as athletes you have to try to do the best you can. Unfortunately I hooked a tip but that happens very often in slalom. I think I got lucky because Maria went out as well today." It means Vonn will retain her three-point lead over Riesch in the overall standings over Christmas, which she will spend with her close friend because the break is too short to allow her to return to the United States. The women's World Cup heads next to Semmering, Austria on December 28 for a giant-slalom with a slalom taking place the following day. Result
1. Marlies Schild (Austria) 48.38 46.57 1:34.95
2. Tanja Poutiainen (Finland) 48.27 47.46 1:35.73
3. Tina Maze (Slovenia) 48.93 48.00 1:36.93
4. Maria Pietilae-Holmner (Sweden) 49.38 47.82 1:37.20
5. Kathrin Zettel (Austria) 49.14 48.07 1:37.21
6. Nicole Hosp (Austria) 49.63 47.78 1:37.41
7. Bernadette Schild (Austria) 50.18 47.31 1:37.49
8. Manuela Moelgg (Italy) 49.10 48.41 1:37.51
9. Nastasia Noens (France) 48.64 48.89 1:37.53
10. Sarka Zahrobska (Czech Republic) 49.22 48.49 1:37.71 Slalom standings
1=Tanja Poutiainen (Finn) 200 pts
1=Marlies Schild (Aut) 200
3. Maria Pietilae-Holmner (Swe) Overall standings
1. Lindsey Vonn (US) 581pts
2. Maria Riesch (Ger) 578
3. Elisabeth Georgl (Aut) 366