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January 6, 2011

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Schild conquers Zagreb slopes

AUSTRIAN Marlies Schild won her fourth World Cup slalom from five races this season by again outclassing her rivals in the Zagreb night event on Tuesday.

The 29-year-old added a 25th slalom victory, her 27th in all, to her career record in a combined time of two minutes and 1.80 seconds. It was also her third victory in the popular floodlit race.

World and Olympic champion Maria Reisch was the only skier to finish within a second of the discipline's World Cup leader, the German taking second place 0.75 off the pace. Italy's Manuela Moelgg was third, 1.08 adrift.

"It was really tricky in the first leg because I raced in thick fog and could hardly see a thing. But I held my nerves," Schild said. "In the second run, Riesch again delivered a sensational performance but I hung in there."

Schild was loudly cheered by the crowd who braved temperatures of minus 18 to attend one of the most spectacular shows on the World Cup program.

With 25 slalom wins, the Austrian is still nine short of Swiss Vreni Schneider's record.

Despite her haul of victories, Schild remains winless in the big events having so far failed to win a world or Olympic title. That is an anomaly she means to put right at the world championships in Garmisch-Partenkirchen next month.

Schild is now set to claim back the slalom's crystal globe she won in 2007 and 2008 before injury struck, while Riesch strengthened her position at the top of the overall standings.

Riesch, with two wins and eight podium places, leads Lindsey Vonn by 186 points after the American crashed in the first leg for the third time this season.

"I'm really proud of myself to maintain such a level of form in spite of such a hectic programme," said the German allrounder, who skis in every discipline.

A downcast Vonn said she was tired and suffering from a cold. "I'm very disappointed. I know I'm strong in slalom but it doesn't show. I struggled out there, I had no grip," she said.



 

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