Zettel retains Semmering giant slalom crown

Exactly a year after her first win, Kathrin Zettel retained her crown at home in the women's World Cup giant slalom of Semmering on Sunday. The 22-year-old Austrian, third after the first leg, was the most consistent of the field, winning in a combined time of two minutes and 10.90 seconds.

It was Zettel's fourth World Cup victory, her third on home snow. She also won the season opener in Soelden in October.

"I saw (fellow Austrian) Nicole (Hosp) go out and it helped me be more focused and determined.

"This is one of the most beautiful women's races with a great course and great crowd. It's an intense satisfaction to win here twice in succession," she told reporters. First after the first leg, Italy's Manuela Moelgg was too jittery in the afternoon to claim her first World Cup victory.

Moelgg, 0.37 seconds behind, had to settle for the fifth runner-up place of her career and the second this season after La Molina two weeks ago. "I have a nice collection of podium places now but victory will have to wait for 2009. In the second leg, I tried to repeat my first run performance, but I probably tried too hard to force victory," she said.

In the wake of her first World Cup victory in a Super-G in St Moritz last week, Lara Gut fought an uphill battle to take third place, 0.55 adrift.

SEMMERING, Austria, Monday (Reuters)