ALTA BADIA (Italy), Dec 16: Frenchman Frederic Covili took his third World Cup giant slalom podium in as many races on Sunday, with a close-shave win on the Gran Risa piste.

The 26-year-old Covili squeezed in just 0.02 seconds faster than Swiss veteran Michael von Gruenigen, with a total time of two minutes 40.58 seconds.

First-leg leader Bode Miller of the United States skidded out on the second run but was unhurt.

Covili sped out of the starting gate on the second leg and led by 0.94 seconds at the first checkpoint.

That lead was shaved to 0.02 seconds by the time he came to a halt on the softening snow at the sun-soaked finish — the same margin that pushed him into second in Val d’Isere.

Von Gruenigen, the world giant slalom champion, finished in 2:40.60 but the biggest smile came from Finland’s Sami Uotila who stepped on to the podium for the first time in his career with third place, 0.09 seconds off the lead.

Uotila became the first Finnish man to get into the top three of a World Cup race. Last week Tanja Poutiainen came second in the women’s slalom at Sestriere.

Miller, who won in Val d’Isere, led by 0.04 seconds after the first leg and started the second run aggressively but quickly skied off the course, the longest giant slalom on the World Cup tour.—Reuters