Egger takes slalom title

Austria's Sabine Egger won the women's slalom in her hometown of Lienz, Austria today, moving to the top from 11th place after the first heat.

Austria's Sabine Egger won the women's slalom in her hometown of Lienz, Austria today, moving to the top from 11th place after the first heat.

The 22-year old slalom specialist clocked an aggregate time of 1 minute, 31.84 seconds to reach her second career World Cup victory.

"I knew my second run was optimal but I didn't speculate about victory until the very last racer was down," the emotional Egger said after the race.

"I was angry after the first heat because I was too slow so I put all of my strength into the second run, maybe 120 percent of me," she said, adding her brand new carving skis were instrumental in her victory.

Slovenia's Natasa Bokal finished second in 1:31.96, edging Austria's Karin Koellerer in third place by 0.10 seconds.

The Austrian, whose top World Cup result was second place in slalom six years ago, had the best second run, moving up 27 spots from 30th place after round one.

"I can't believe it, I only though about a place maybe in Top 20," Koellerer said.

Another Slovenian, Spela Pretnar, finished fourth in 1:32.12 and tied with France's Christel Saioni.

Trine Bakke of Norway dropped to sixth place overall after a promising second spot in heat one, clocking an aggregate time of 1:32.28.

World Champion in slalom, Australian Zali Steggall, also sank in the second heat, finishing 16th overall.

Sweden's Anja Paerson, in the lead after the first heat, dropped out of the course shortly before finish of round two after making a series of elementary mistakes.

The best U.S. finisher, Kristina Koznick, who took the second place here in slalom in 1997, was 21st, 1.20 seconds behind the winner.

Canadian Allison Forsyth, second in Tuesday's giant slalom, narrowly failed to qualify for the second heat, finishing 34th.

Results of the slalom at the Dolomiten course (run times in parentheses):

1, Sabine Egger, Austria, 1 minute, 31.84 seconds (45.65, 46.19).2, Natasa Bokal, Slovenia, 1:31.96 (45.19, 46.77).3, Karin Koellerer, Austria, 1:32.06 (46.64, 45.42).4, Spela Pretnar, Slovenia, 1:32.12 (45.51, 46.61).(tied) Christel Saioni, France, 1:32.12 (45.09, 47.03).6, Trine Bakke, Norway, 1:32.28 (44.88, 47.40).7, Helene Richard, France, 1:32.38 (46.14, 46.24).8, Vanessa Vidal, France, 1:32.40 (46.14, 46.24).9, Elisabetta Biavaschi, Italy, 1:32.45 (45.82, 46.63).10, Sonja Nef, Switzerland, 1:32.47 (46.04, 46.43).11, Alenka Dovzan, Slovenia, 1:32.50 (45.75, 46.75).12, Leila Piccard, France, 1:32.56 (45.70, 46.86).13, Urska Hrovat, Slovenia, 1:32.61 (45.34, 47.27).14, Laure Pequegnot, France, 1:32.62 (46.51, 46.11).15, Henna Raita, Finland, 1:32.68 (45.67, 47.01).16, Zali Steggall, Australia, 1:32.74 (45.14, 47.60).(tied) Ylva Nowen, Sweden, 1:32.74 (45.48, 47.26).18, Monika Bergmann, Germany, 1:32.75 (46.57, 46.18).(tied) Claudia Riegler, New Zealand, 1:32.75 (45.80, 46.95).20, Anita Wachter, Austria, 1:32.76 (45.79, 46.97).21, Kristina Koznick, United States, 1:33.04 (46.12, 46.92).22, Andrine Flemmen, Norway, 1:33.11 (46.34, 46.77).23, Noriyo Hiroi, Japan, 1:33.39 (46.30, 47.09).24, Annemarie Gerg, Germany, 1:33.65 (46.64, 47.01).25, Corina Gruenenfelder, Switzerland, 1:33.75 (46.53, 47.22).26, Ingrid Salvenmoser, Austria, 1:33.90 (46.08, 47.82).27, Anna Ottosson, Sweden, 1:33.99 (45.50, 48.49).

Women's World Cup overall standings

1. Renate Goetschl, Austria, 491 points.2. Isolde Kostner, Italy, 481.3. Michaela Dorfmeister, Austria, 469.4. Janica Kostelic, Croatia, 420.5. Regine Cavagnoud, France, 395.6. Hilde Gerg, Germany, 360.7. Pernilla Wiberg, Sweden, 331.8. Anita Wachter, Austria, 314.9. Sonja Nef, Switzerland, 298.10. Karen Putzer, Italy, 265.11. Anja Paerson, Sweden, 246.12. Mojca Suhadolc, Slovenia, 245.13. Tanja Schneider, Auistria, 220.14. Corinne Rey Bellet, Switzerland, 216.15. Brigitte Obermoser, Austria, 213.

Women's World Cup Slalom Standings

1. Janica Kostelic, Croatia, 250.2. Christel Saioni, France, 246.3. Trine Bakke, Norway, 230.4. Sabine Egger, Austria, 222.5. Spela Pretnar, Slovenia, 176.6. Anja Paerson, Sweden, 154.7. Helene Richard, France, 130.8. Natasa Bokal, Slovenia, 124.9. Karin Koellerer, Austria, 113.10. Vanessa Vidal, France, 105.