Tanja Poutiainen claimed her second World Cup giant slalom win of the season in Italy on Sunday.
Finn takes second win of season after favourite misses a gate
Tanja Poutiainen claimed her second World Cup giant slalom win of the season in Italy on Sunday.
The Finn had been second behind favourite Kathrin Zettel following the first leg on Cortina's Olympia delle Tofane piste.
However, Zettel skied out on her second run, allowing Poutiainen the chance to claim the fifth World Cup giant slalom victory of her career.
Her victory came in spite of early mistakes on her second run but Poutiainen produced a storming bottom section of the course.
Zettel, winner on the course last year, made a conservative start on the second run to lie slightly behind the Finn at the first intermediate but when the Austrian began to push harder she ended up missing a gate.
Poutiainen won with a combined time of two minutes 26.51 seconds, putting her 1.05 seconds ahead of second-placed German Viktoria Rebensburg, who won her first podium spot.
Meanwhile, Germany's Kathrin Hoelzl took third to climb above Zettel to the top of the World Cup giant slalom standings.
American Lindsey Vonn, who has won all five downhills this season including Saturday's race at Cortina, remains on top of the overall standings despite finishing 19th in one of her least favourite events.
Her main rival, Germany's Maria Riesch, finished eighth after losing speed when she hit a gate too hard.
