Svindal leads the World Cup overall standings with two races left

Norway's Aksel Lund Svindal came second behind Werner Heel in the final super-G of the season to clinch the World Cup title in Are, Sweden.

Svindal, the 2006 World Cup super-G champion, stretched his lead over Benjamin Raich in the overall standings with giant slalom and slalom to come.

The 26-year-old, who won the overall title in 2007, leads Austria's Raich by 102 points.

American Lindsey Vonn won the women's super-G crown with victory in Are.

Vonn, the women's overall World Cup champion and downhill winner, won Thursday's race from Italy's Nadia Fanchini and Germany's Maria Riesch to become super-G champion.

The final two events of the World Cup finals are a giant slalom on Friday and a slalom on Saturday, with 100 points available for a win.

Svindal is concerned that he has not won a single point in slalom this season.

"I think I will have problems in the slalom," said the speed specialist.

Raich, the 2006 overall champion, was a narrow fourth in the super-G but has his two best disciplines coming up, while world champion Didier Cuche is third in the overall table, 150 points adrift.

This victory is a great satisfaction for me after the disappointment of Val d'Isere Werner Heel

"It's true they are strong ones for me," said Raich. "But Svindal is more than 100 points ahead. So the chance is still living, but it's hard. If I get possibilities I will catch it.

"Go fast or go home is the motto now."

Svindal topped the final super-G standings with 292 points, with Heel in second on 256 and Didier Defago of Switzerland third with 242.

Hermann Maier, the 36-year-old Austrian veteran, led the standings going into the race, but made an early mistake and ended up fourth in the super-G standings.

Heel won Thursday's super-G in one minute 13.41 seconds, with Svindal 0.07 behind while another Italian Christof Innerhofer was 0.20 back in third.

"It's a great day," said Heel, who won a downhill for his first World Cup victory at Kvitfjell, Norway, last year. "I enjoy skiing in this part of the world. I like the countryside, the snow and the atmosphere.

"This victory is a great satisfaction for me after the disappointment of Val d'Isere when the whole Italian team expected a lot and got little."

The World Cup finals feature the top 25 ranked racers in the four disciplines and a team event.

E-mail this to a friend

Printable version