Kostelic wins Wengen slalom

The Croat, the 2003 world slalom champion, clocked 1min 40.34sec for the two runs ahead of Andre Myhrer and Reinfried Herbst.

Croatia's Ivica Kostelic on Sunday won the men's World Cup slalom race here for his 10th career success only a month after undergoing a knee operation.

The Croat, the 2003 world slalom champion, clocked 1min 40.34sec for the two runs, 0.29sec ahead of Sweden's Andre Myhrer with Austrian Reinfried Herbst at 0.51sec.

Kostelic, who had already shown no ill effects from his operation having finished third in the slalom at Adelboden, led by 0.14sec after the first leg and extended his lead in the second run.

It was a welcome return to some sort of form for Herbst, who having won the first two slaloms of the campaign had failed in the past two races.

Frenchman Julien Lizeroux, who had won in Adelboden, finished only fifth failing to grab a sentimental win as a tribute to his brother Yoann, who was killed in an accident in July 2008 on the west face of the Jungrau, the mountain overlooking the ski station.

The first leg had claimed several high profile contenders including Italy's Manfred Moelgg and Mario Matt of Austria. American Bode Miller, who despite suffering from a sore ankle had won the super-combined on Friday, also went out on the first leg.

Swiss tyro Carlo Janka, who won Saturday's downhill, retained the lead in the overall World Cup standings.