Skiing: Riegler's run cut short by fall

New Zealand skier Claudia Riegler crashed out of the women's world championship slalom yesterday on a treacherous course in St Anton, Austria.

Riegler had finished her first run in 13th place on the steep and difficult course on which many leading contenders fell, causing the course to rut badly.

Third away on the second run, Riegler was quickly in trouble and fell heavily on the upper part of the floodlit Sonnenwiese piste.

She had clocked 48.20s on the first run, 3.51s behind leader Anja Paerson, of Sweden, with runaway World Cup leader Janica Kostelic, of Croatia, surprisingly only third after being almost unbeatable during the series.

The fall marked a continuation of a disappointing run of form for the New Zealander, who has toppled in three of her past five outings on the World Cup circuit.

Riegler thought she had a chance to do well at the start of the second run because her rivals were finding the rutted course tough going.

Six of the first eight away on the second run fell, as the New Zealander watched in disbelief.

"It was weird, it was unbelievable. I thought I had a really good chance.

"Things are not working out for me at all," she said.

Paerson clocked an unofficial time of 1m 32.95s over the two runs to beat France's Christelle Saioni, who recorded 1m 33.56s, with Norway's Hedda Berntsen third.

- NZPA