Fenninger wins in Semmering

After a third-place finish at Lake Louis, Canada and a runners-up spot in Are, Sweden earlier this month Austrian Anna Fenninger finally claimed her first world cup victory of the season on Friday after winning a giant slalom race on home snow in Semmering. The 23-year-old super-combined world champion blitzed the field in both runs to win her second career world cup race – her maiden victory came exactly a year ago in Lienz and was also a giant slalom. Fenninger beat this season’s form skier Tina Maze of Slovenia into second place. Maze was 1.1 seconds off the pace but it was the 29 year old’s tenth world cup podium this season and extended her lead at the top of the overall standings to a whopping 417 points over second placed Maria Hoefl-Riesch of Germany. Rounding off the podium in third place eight hundredths of a second further back was France’s Tessa Worely. It was the third time this month Worely has finished third in a giant slalom. The female skiers stay in Semmering for a slalom race scheduled on the same course on Saturday.