World Cup victories come easy for Alberto Tomba. It's more difficult for Kristina Andersson.
Both came away with wins this past weekend. Urs Kaelin, Martina Ertl and Katja Seizinger were also winners in men's competitions in Austria and women's in Maribor, Slovenia.Slowly rounding into top shape as the World Championships in Sierra Nevada, Spain, approach next month, Tomba gained his 47th career victory.
After 12 years on the women's circuit, Sweden's Andersson, the oldest woman on the circuit at 30, won her first.
Tomba overtook first-run leader Mario Reiter of Austria to gain a 20-second victory with a total time of 1 minute, 41.05 seconds.
"I knew I could go for the victory, because the second run suited me," Tomba said.
Tomba gained his third consecutive slalom victory with another strong second run in a slalom that left his rivals impressed.
Jure Kosir of Slovenia, who came in third, gave "La Bomba" credit.
"He is always stronger on the second run," Kosir said. "The second part of the second run is usually where he gets his advantage.'
While Tomba has won Olympic gold three times and the overall World Cup title once, he has never captured a gold medal at the World Championships.
Tomba was the World Cup overall winner last year, but his slow start this season has virtually eliminated him from contention. He missed the opening race in Tignes, France, missed gates in two others and refused to race in a giant slalom in Slovenia before he got his first victory of the season at Madonna di Campiglio, Italy, on Dec. 19.
He was second to Switzerland's Kaelin in the giant slalom on Saturday.
Kaelin won his second career race and his first since November 1989.
Lasse Kjus, with a fifth in the giant slalom and a 10th in the slalom, stayed in front in the men's standings. He now has 956 points.