SEMMERING, Austria — Kathrin Zettel of Austria won a women's World Cup giant slalom Sunday for her second title of the season and fourth overall.

Austria's Kathrin Zettel speeds down the course on her way to win an alpine ski, Women's World Cup Giant slalom race, in Semmering, Austria, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2008. (AP Photo/Marco Trovati)

Zettel finished in a two-run combined time of 2 minutes 10.90 seconds Sunday to beat Italy's Manuela Moelgg by 0.37 seconds.

"This is an incredible feeling," Zettel said. "Winning in front of a home crowd really means a lot to me."

Zettel also won the season-opening giant slalom in Soelden, Austria, in October and won the previous GS in Semmering in 2006.

"I couldn't be more happy," said Zettel, who won all her titles on GS. "This obviously is my strongest discipline. The slope here suits me very well so maybe I can do well too in [Monday's] slalom."

Genevieve Simard of Val-Morin, Que., was 15th in 2:13.02.

Moelgg led after the first run but had to settle for second for the fourth time this year.

Italy's Manuela Moelgg passes a gate during the first run of an alpine ski, Women's World Cup Giant slalom race, in Semmering, Austria, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2008. (AP Photo/Marco Trovati)

"I lost too much speed in the upper part [of the second run]," said Moelgg, who had the 14th time in the final run. "But I am glad with the result anyway."

Switzerland's Lara Gut was 13th after the opening run but posted the fastest time in the final leg to finish third, trailing Zettel by 0.55 seconds.

Switzerland's Lara Gut speeds down the course on her way to take third place, during an alpine ski, Women's World Cup Giant slalom race, in Semmering, Austria, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2008. (AP Photo/Marco Trovati)

"I didn't find the right line in the first run," said the 17-year-old Gut, who won her maiden World Cup title in native St. Moritz last week. "I knew exactly what I had to do better in the second. It worked out really great."

Two mistakes in her second run cost Lindsey Vonn considerable time, but she maintained her lead in the overall standings after finishing eighth.

"This is a super result for me," Vonn said. "The slope was quite fast in the middle part but I did not adjust my skies correctly."

Vonn has 470 points, Tanja Poutiainen of Finland is second with 418, and Maria Riesch of Germany third with 407.

Nicole Hosp of Austria was third going into the second run and posted the fastest intermediate time, but crashed after losing a ski on the steep part of the Panorama course.

Down the slope: Sweden's Anja Paerson competes in the women's giant slalom during the FIS World cup in Semmering, Austria. (AFP/Joe Klamar)

World champion Anja Paerson of Sweden missed out on a podium finish and took fourth after skiing off course in her second run, while Denise Karbon, who won five out of seven giant slaloms last season, came in fifth.

Austria's Kathrin Zettel, center, the winner, celebrates on podium with second-placed Manuela Moelgg, of Italy, left, and third-placed Lara Gut, of Switzerland, after an alpine ski, Women's World Cup Giant slalom race, in Semmering, Austria, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2008. (AP Photo/Giovanni Auletta)

A women's World Cup slalom in Semmering is scheduled for Monday.

ERIC WILLEMSEN
The Associated Press
December 28, 2008 at 11:09 AM EST

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