Tessa Worley wins World Cup giant slalom

20-year-old French skier Tessa Worley won the women's giant slalom Saturday. It's the Frenchwoman's second win on the World Cup circuit.

AFP - Tessa Worley won the women's giant slalom on Saturday, the French skier's second win on the World Cup circuit.
   
The 20-year-old timed 2min 23.22sec to beat Slovenia's Tina Maze, second at .57sec, and Kathrin Zettel, third at .69s.
   
Worley gave France hope of a first win on the circuit this season when she stormed down the first run to hold off both Maze and Zettel, who were tied for second at 0.81s.
   
The Frenchwoman then held her nerve in the decider to hold off her rivals, none of whom were the fastest of the field in the second run.
   
"I didn't want to calculate too much (for the second run)," said Worley, who claimed her maiden World Cup win in November 2008 by winning the Aspen giant slalom.
   
"I just approached it the way I did the first run. I'm really happy, it still hasn't sunk in."
   
Worley's victory will be a tonic for a French squad that is still upset over injuries to slalom king Jean-Baptiste Grange, Thomas Fanara and Pierre-Emmanuel Dalcin - all three of whom will miss the Olympics.
   
Italian teenager Federica Brignone meanwhile continued to impress, the 19-year-old finishing fourth less than two weeks after finishing third in the Aspen giant slalom.
   
American World Cup overall leader Lindsey Vonn and her main rival, Germany's Maria Riesch, did not finish on Saturday.
   
Vonn crashed out of the first run while Riesch, who was fourth after the first run, made a mistake on her way down the second run.

Date created : 2009-12-12