Fenninger reigns in Lienz giant slalom

Austria's Anna Fenninger claimed her first ever World Cup win by prevailing in the giant slalom here on Wednesday, ahead of Italy's Federica Brignone and Tessa Worley of France. Germany's Viktoria Rebensburg recorded the quickest time in a tight first leg but missed out on a podium place by 0.10 seconds. She nonetheless conserved her place at the top of the World Cup giant slalom standings. With three different winners in the season's first three races, the giant slalom is the only women's discipline in which podium places have circulated freely, with Lindsey Vonn supreme in the speed events and the slalom dominated by Austria's Marlies Schild. Fenninger, the world super-combined champion, had never before finished on the podium in the giant slalom but had showed signs of progress by finishing sixth in Solden and fourth in Aspen. Sixth after the first leg, the 22-year-old beat world silver-medallist Brignone by 0.20sec and world bronze-medallist Worley by 0.39sec. Vonn finished fifth and preserved her lead in the overall standings.