Zettel Moves Closer To Second Gold

Zettel, who won the super-combined title here last week, posted a time of 59.53 seconds down the steep, icy Bellevarde course.

Austria's Kathrin Zettel stayed on course for a second gold medal by clocking the fastest time in the first leg of the women's giant slalom at the Alpine skiing world championships on Thursday.

Zettel, who won the super-combined title here last week, posted a time of 59.53 seconds down the steep, icy Bellevarde course, staging a women's event for the first time at the championships.

Finland's Tanja Poutiainen mastered difficult conditions with light snowfalls and poor visibility to set the second best time 0.40 seconds back.

Germany's Viktoria Rebensburg was in third position 0.57 seconds behind the leader. The second leg starts at 1230 GMT.

The daunting Bellevarde piste, previously used only for the men's events, ruined the hopes of Swiss teenager Lara Gut. The 17-year-old, who claimed silver medals in the super-combined and downhill here, skied out on the upper part of the course.