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SOELDEN (Austria), Oct 27: Olympic and World Cup champion Stephan Eberharter threw down the gauntlet to his rivals with victory in the season-opening giant slalom Sunday — his first win here after being runner-up three times in a row.
The 33-year-old Austrian, who led after the first run, set the 14,000 spectators into a jubilant frenzy by storming through the finishing line in a combined time of one minute 49.47 seconds.
“I always felt at home on this mountain and today I knew that I had to ski aggressively to win,” Eberharter said.
Tina Maze, Nicole Hosp and Andrine Flemmen ensured that the women’s Alpine ski World Cup began with an historic first this weekend, though for the men the old order continued their rule.
Never before in the 36-year history of the World Cup had three skiers crowded on to the top step of the podium.
In a two-leg race such as giant slalom, where times are aggregated, the chances of a three-way tie are minute.—Reuters
