Toronto, Canada – By Patrick Lang
SCHLADMING, Austria (Reuters) - Reinfried Herbst lifted Austria's confidence before next month's Vancouver Olympics by retaining his Schladming slalom crown Tuesday.
Also the winner of the classic floodlit slalom on the Planai piste last year, Herbst's victory was his third success of the season and was secured in a combined time of one minute and 45.91 seconds.
"It's great revenge after I came so close in Kitzbuehel," said Herbst, who failed to finish at the weekend when ideally placed for victory.
"But I'm ready to lose every time in Kitzbuehel if it means winning in Schladming afterwards," he added after ending 11 winless World Cup races for Austria.
Swiss Silvan Zurbriggen, second in the Kitzbuehel super-combined last weekend, missed victory by 0.56 seconds but spoiled the Austrian show in front of a 50,000-strong crowd as he ousted local hero Benjamin Raich from the podium.
Raich was fourth, 0.91 off the pace, 0.09 behind world champion Manfred Pranger who earned a podium place for only the second time this season.
Thanks to his fourth place, Raich strengthened his overall World Cup lead. He now leads Swiss Carlo Janka by 74 points.
The men's World Cup moves to Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, next weekend for two giant slaloms and a slalom.
(Editing by Justin Palmer)
