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Page last updated at 14:48 GMT, Friday, 6 February 2009

Zettel takes super combined gold

WORLD SKI CHAMPIONSHIPS
Date: 2-15 February Venue: Val d'Isere, France
Coverage: Ski Sunday, BBC Two/online, Sunday 8 February, 1630-1700 GMT

Kathrin Zettel
Zettel stood fifth after the downhill leg and was third-fastest in slalom

Austria's Kathrin Zettel produced a scintillating slalom run to win gold in the super combined at the World Ski Championships in Val D'Isere.

Zettel, lying fifth fastest after the morning's downhill, clocked a combined time of 2min 20.13sec.

Swiss teenager Lara Gut took silver as America's Lindsey Vonn, the favourite, was disqualified after missing a gate.

Elisabeth Goergl, another Austrian, won bronze as Britain's Chemmy Alcott was 13th in the slalom and 17th overall.

Zettel was 0.56sec ahead of 17-year-old Gut and 0.88sec ahead of Goergl.

Gut, who was competing in her first major championship, finished fifth in her only previous World Cup super combined at St. Moritz in December.

It was also the first medal at a World Championships or Olympics for Goergl, who has won two World Cup giant slaloms.

But it was heartbreak for Vonn in her search for double gold after winning Tuesday's Super-G.

The American led after the downhill but did not look comfortable at the top of the slalom course and ended up skipping a gate as she overcompensated on the icy run.

606: DEBATE

She was initially classified as having finished second before organisers disqualified her.

Zettel, who finished fourth in the super combined at the 2006 Turin Olympics and was fifth at the 2007 World Ski Championships, stood fifth after the downhill leg and was third-fastest in slalom.

Defending champion Anja Paerson of Sweden missed a gate in the downhill leg, losing control for an instant after posting the fastest first split time.

Paerson, who also failed to finish Tuesday's Super-G, said: "It was really bad luck. One of my skis was in line and the other went in the other direction.

"This bad luck is reflective of my World Championships. I know I can ski and be fast. I'm going to have to be positive.

"I need to work more and be stronger for the downhill on Sunday."

Maria Riesch of Germany finished fourth after struggling in slalom.

Alcott, meanwhile, was fined by the International Ski Federation for racing through a yellow safety flag during her downhill run.

The 26-year-old was punished 999 Swiss francs (�579) for failing to stop immediately when the previous racer, Frida Hansdotter of Sweden, had crashed and was still on the course.

Alcott stopped on seeing a second yellow flag. She was allowed to repeat her downhill run and was 13th fastest.


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see also
Winter Sports on the BBC
20 Jan 09 |  Winter Sports
Cuche clinches World super-G gold
04 Feb 09 |  Winter Sports
Vonn claims world super-G title
03 Feb 09 |  Winter Sports


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FROM OTHER SPORT SITES
Denver Post Lindsey Vonn leads downhill training at worlds - 71 hrs ago
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Boston Globe Germany's Riesch crashes in downhill training - 05 Feb 2009
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Telegraph Maria Riesch falls in world downhill training - 04 Feb 2009
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