OFTERSCHWANG, Germany (AP) -- Marlies Schild of Austria clinched her fourth World Cup slalom race of the season on Sunday, while Americans Julia Mancuso and Lindsey Vonn crashed out in the first run.

Schild finished the Ofterschwang course in a combined time of 1 minute, 40.85 seconds, ahead of Therese Borssen of Sweden by 0.42 seconds. Overall World Cup leader Nicole Hosp of Austria was third.

Mancuso lost her footing trying to take a gate in the upper half of the first run. Vonn, racing directly after Mancuso, also went out at nearly the same spot in the upper half of the course.

Vonn's mishap appeared to be more serious, though she was able to come down the course on her own power.

"Of course both are disappointed that they couldn't finish the race. But both of them are fine health-wise,'' said U.S. team spokesman Doug Haney. "They both went out at the same spot. And slalom is like that. You can be on and on and on and then slam, you're gone. It's a race of millimeters.''

Hosp increased her lead in the overall World Cup standings, 899 points to Vonn's 773. Schild moved to third place at 751, and Mancuso dropped to fifth in the overall standings at 703.

Schild's victory was not enough to overtake Hosp in the discipline standings. Hosp has a 465-460 lead.

AP-ES-01-27-08 0928EST
Sunday January 27, 2008

  Tweet