Italy's Daniela Merighetti claimed her maiden World Cup victory on home snow in the Cortina d'Ampezzo downhill.
Italian ends long wait for World Cup success
Italian veteran Daniela Merighetti claimed her maiden World Cup victory in the women's downhill at Cortina d'Ampezzo.
The 30-year-old clocked a time of one minute and 33.17 seconds to beat American Lindsey Vonn, the overall World Cup leader, into second place by 0.21 seconds.
Germany's Maria Hoefl-Riesch finished third, a further 0.19s off the pace.
"I always believed I would do it but now it's hard to realise, especially to win ahead of Lindsey," said Merighetti, whose only previous World Cup podium was a second place in a giant slalom in Are in 2003.
"This was the race I had written down as my main goal this season. It's a perfect course for me. I just tried to be relaxed and only think about speed."
Gusty
Merighetti was helped in Cortina by weather conditions, as occasional gusts of wind harmed the performances of most of her rivals, although the solid runs by Vonn and Hoefl-Riesch were still morale boosters for both.
Hampered by a stomach bug in recent weeks, Vonn faltered badly in Bad Kleinkircheim last weekend, finishing outside the top 15 in a Super-G.
"It's a disappointment. I had been beaten here last year and I was out for revenge. But I did the best I could given the conditions and I'm very happy for Daniela," Vonn said.
Vonn still tops the World Cup overall standings from Austria's Marlies Schild.
The women's programme continues on Sunday in the Italian resort with a Super-G, a race Vonn won a year ago.
