COMPETITORS STARTING IN GIANT SLALOM; COMPETITORS DOWN SLOPES; COMPETITORS FINISH.




Initials PK/V/DW/PC


SPORT: SLALOM

Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: SWISS SKIER DUMENG GIOVANOLI YESTERDAY (SATURDAY) DISPLAYED H HIS TOP FORM TO WIN THE INTERNATIONAL GIANT SLALOM EVENT ON THE HAHNENKAMM TRACK AT KITZBUEHEL, IN AUSTRIA. IT WAS THE SECOND GIANT SLALOM IN TWO DAYS, AND WAS RUN BECAUSE BAD SNOW CONDITIONS PREVENTED THE SCHEDULED DOWNHILL EVENT FROM TAKING PLACE.

GIOVANOLI COMPLETED HIS TWO RUNS OF THE COURSE IN ONE MINUTE 33.27 SECONDS AND ONE MINUTE 47.40 SECONDS TO GIVE A TOTAL TIME OF 3 MINUTES 20.67 SECONDS.

SECOND WAS ANDREIJ BACHLEDA, OF POLAND, WITH A TIME OF THREE MINUTES 22.74 SECONDS.

KARL SCHRANZ, OF AUSTRIA, WAS CLOSE BEHIND, WITH THREE MINUTES 22.88 SECONDS.

GIOVANOLI HAD ALSO WON THE FIRST RUN OF THE EVENT ON FRIDAY - HIS TIME OF ONE MINUTE 33.27 SECONDS BEING 0.55 SECONDS AHEAD OF BACHLEDA. SCHRANZ FINISHED FIFTH IN THE FIRST RUN, WITH A TIME OF ONE MINUTE 34.17 SECONDS, BUT PICKED UP ON HIS SECOND ATTEMPT IN I MIN 48.71 SECONDS.

BEHIND SCHRANZ IN THE OVERALL PLACINGS WERE EDMUND BRUGGMANN, OF SWITZERLAND, PATRIC RUSSEL, OF FRANCE, AND GUSTAV THOENI, OF ITALY.

GIOVANOLI'S WIN PUTS HIM FOURTH IN THE MEN'S WORLD CUP PLACINGS, BEHIND RUSSEL, THOENI AND SCHRANZ.