Ivica Kostelic got his first win of the season just a few weeks after knee surgery as he claimed the Lauberhorn slalom title at Wengen (SUI) on Sunday. Leading after the first run the Croatian calmly mastered the second run and withstood the challenge by Swede Andre Myhrer to earn his second win in Wengen. For Myhrer it was the second career podium after a win at Beaver Creek in November 2006. Slalom World Cup standings leader Reinfried Herbst was third.

The battle for the World Cup overall title tightened up with fourth finishing Benjamin Raich of Austria making up ground on Carlo Janka who skipped the race. Kostelic jumped into the top 10 overall.

The slalom was the final race of the 80th Lauberhorn Races and the fifth of nine scheduled slaloms, in fact the third of six scheduled in January.

The FIS World Cup weekend in Wengen became a ski festival of superlatives. The three races lured a record number of 58'000 spectators to the Bernese Oberland. Last year's record was exceeded by 5'500 people.

From the Swiss perspective, Silvan Zurbriggen rounded out the weekend well with his 6th rank in the slalom in front of 8500 spectators. Overall it was a fantastic weekend for the host country. A new record of 17'500 spectators attended the super-combined on Friday, followed by another new record of 32'000 spectators at the downhill on Saturday.

FISalpine.com
Sunday 17 January 2010