Ertl caps injury comeback with gold By Bill Scott

Ertl, 27, a border guard by training, took the victory in a night- time slalom which capped the day of racing.

The winner was timed in an aggregate of two minutes, 55.65 seconds over a morning downhill and the concluding slalom. The hybrid race twins results from the two disciplines to produce a final medal tally.

"It's great day for me today," said the champion. "I was injured, and I'm just back from rehabilitation."

Young Austrian Christine Sponring grabbed silver on 2:58.23 with Italian Karen Putzer winning bronze with 2:58.69.

"I'm really very happpy about the silver," said Sponring. "I don't have the words to express my joy."

There was disappointment for a trio of top contenders. Croatian Janica Kostelic, winner of all seven slaloms raced this World Cup season, fell just a few gates into her first slalom leg, ending her race.

"I had a good first couple of gates, then my skis just flew into the air," said the 19-year-old. "It happens."

"I'm not disappointed," she said, looking ahead to her chances in the pure slalom next Wednesday. "There are races left to come. If I cry now, what good would it do? It won't change a thing. It would be stupid to worry about this."

Dramas in the second run put paid to Austria's Renate Goetschl, silver medallist two years ago, and Swiss-born American Caroline Lalive. Goetschl straddled a gate just tens of metres from the finish line while Lalive missed an early gate, climbed back up to make it and then missed another further down the piste.

In the downhill, unfancied American outsider Kirsten Clark won the race but finished well back in the slalom.

(kil/dpa)