Skiing: Riegler storms to fifth in slalom

SESTRIERE - New Zealand skier Claudia Riegler finished fifth in a World Cup slalom event in Italy yesterday, turning in a storming second run that took her to the verge of the podium.

After finishing 13th on a nervous first run through the 63-gate course, Riegler was slick in her second swoop down the Sestriere slopes to grab fifth overall.

Her battered confidence restored after crashing last time out, Riegler said she had her heart set on a top-three finish before the season was out.

"I'm just going to attack. I know I have a chance to be right up there.

"I want to get on the podium and I want to win a race this year - I don't care which one it is."

Riegler, aged 24, totalled 1m 44.30s, to finish .83s behind Croatian winner Janica Kostelic.

Only Austrian Carina Raich bettered Riegler's second run of 52.81s - by just one-hundredth of a second.

Croatian 18-year-old Kostelic has now won four successive World Cup slaloms. Norway's Trine Bakke was second in 1m 43.88s and Kristina Koznick of the US third in 1m 43.95s.

It was the 10th time Riegler, who has had three circuit wins since 1996, had finished in the top five in a World Cup race. She also placed fifth at Sestriere last year.

"It's a great day," she said. "Top five - you can never be too disappointed about top five, plus I'm not far away from being on the podium. If you have one good run and one bad run you can't be right up there.

"I was really pleased about the way I skied on the second run. If I ski two runs like that I have a chance to win."

Nerves contributed to a tardy opening to her first run, Riegler said.

On her last World Cup outing - also at Sestriere - she fell when leading. The mental scars of that crash made her cautious.

Not until Riegler passed the scene of her crash did she relax, scooting over the lower section in the fourth-fastest time of the day.

She improved four places to 13th in the World Cup standings.

- NZPA