Kostelic wins World Cup slalom at Wengen for 1st victory of season; Ligety 8th for US

Kostelic wins World Cup slalom at Wengen

WENGEN, Switzerland — Ivica Kostelic of Croatia won a World Cup slalom Sunday for his first victory this season, dropping to his knees and kissing the snow at the finish.

Kostelic led after the first leg and completed the two runs in 1 minute, 40.34 seconds for his 10th career victory on the circuit.

Sweden’s Andre Myhrer was 0.29 back in second. Austria’s Reinfried Herbst was third, trailing Kostelic by 0.51.

For the U.S., Ted Ligety finished eighth and Jimmy Cochran 12th. Bode Miller skied out in the top half and was among 22 of 69 racers who did not finish the first run, including two-time world champion Mario Matt of Austria and Manfred Moelgg of Italy, the 2008 World Cup slalom champion.

Kostelic returned to skiing Jan. 6, less than four weeks after arthroscopic surgery on his right knee. He has had seven operations on his right knee and another on his left. The 2002 World Cup slalom champion is also troubled by back pain.

“I was nervous because I’ve never lost a race I was leading,” he said. “It’s not easy holding a lead … and I knew I was going for victory.”

Herbst extended his lead in the World Cup slalom standings over Julien Lizeroux of France, who placed fifth after winning last week at Adelboden, Switzerland.

Benjamin Raich of Austria finished fourth and closed within 18 points of overall leader Carlo Janka of Switzerland, who has 757 points. Janka won the classic Lauberhorn downhill Saturday and did not compete Sunday.

Kostelic finished second in the season-opening slalom in Finland in November but chose to have surgery after racing in Val d’Isere, France.

He has skied impressively in Switzerland the past nine days. He did well in the first run of Adelboden’s giant slalom, which was abandoned because of thick fog, then finished third behind Lizeroux in slalom the next day. He was sixth behind Miller in Wengen’s super-combined Friday, then placed 20th in the Lauberhorn downhill, his weakest discipline.

“I’m surprised that my knee is still holding up pretty well,” Kostelic said. “The doctors who went inside said they never saw a knee look so good after so many traumas.”

Kostelic said his priority is a medal at next month’s Vancouver. He won a silver in the combined at the Turin Games four years ago. His sister is Janica Kostelic, a four-time Olympic gold medalist and three-time overall World Cup champion.

Myhrer was fourth after the morning run, but skied the bottom half of the second run superbly. It was his first top-three World Cup finish since winning a slalom in the 2007 season at Beaver Creek, Colo.

“It’s good finally to have a result,” he said.