Hilde Gerg burst the dreams of Kristina Koznick and Ylva Nowen by winning a World Cup slalom race Sunday.
The German beat the American by .27 seconds, preventing Koznick from becoming the first American to win a women's slalom since 1992.Gerg's first career slalom victory also ended Nowen's winning streak. The newest star of the Swedish team, who had won the previous four slaloms, finished ninth, 1.61 seconds behind the winner.
Gerg had a two-run total time of 1 minute, 35.01 seconds, giving the strong German women's team its 11th triumph in 19 races this season.
Second to Koznick in the first run, .14 seconds behind, Gerg clocked the fastest second run, 47.94, to vault into first.
Earlier this season, Gerg had three runner-up finishes and one third in slaloms.
Men's World Cup
SCHLADMING, Austria - Hermann Maier led a 1-2-3 Austria sweep of a World Cup super giant slalom Sunday, his second victory in a week on the same course.
It was the 13th win of the season for the powerful Austrian team, by far the best of any nation.
Maier, a six-time winner, was timed in 1 minute, 14.84 seconds. Andreas Schifferer finished second, 1.19 seconds back, and Stefan Eberharter was third at 1:16.14. The Austrians also got a piece of fourth place, with Rainer Salzgeber tying with Italy's Peter Runggaldier at 1:16.54.
"I'm the best-placed skier from this planet," Schifferer said jokingly, alluding to Maier's "extra-terrestrial" reputation and his nickname of "The Alien."
"They are unbeatable, or very hard to beat," Runggaldier said of the Austrians.