Rebensburg grabs surprise giant slalom gold

Last Updated: Thursday, February 25, 2010 | 3:53 PM ET

By Jesse Campigotto, CBC Sports

Germany's Viktoria Rebensburg carves out a turn during the second run of the Olympic women's giant slalom. (Luca Bruno/Associated Press)

German youngster Viktoria Rebensburg was the surprise gold medallist in the women's giant slalom Thursday, skiing an excellent second run to move up from sixth place after the opening leg.

It was the first Olympic medal and first major victory of any kind for the 20-year-old, who survived the foggy conditions at Whistler Creekside that helped cause the completion of the race to be delayed a day and hampered some of her competitors Thursday.

With Rebensburg's gold added to teammate Maria Riesch's in the downhill, Germany is now tied with Switzerland and the United States for the most alpine titles at the Vancouver Games. Each country has a pair with two events remaining — the men's and women's slaloms.

Slovenia's Tina Maze captured her second silver medal of the Vancouver Games, moving up from fifth and finishing 0.12 seconds back to add to her runner-up finish in the super-G.

"It's great. I didn't expect that I would take two medals," Maze said. "I was never racing so good at the big events, but this time it's different, and I skied confident."

Austria's Elisabeth Goergl settled for her second bronze medal. The third-place finisher in the downhill posted the best time in the first slalom leg but faded to 0.49 seconds off the pace Thursday.

"I wanted gold today," said Goergl, who had to battle the thicker fog that rolled in after Rebensburg's run.

Deteriorating conditions

Teammates Kathrin Zettel and Eva-Maria Brem, who joined Goergl in the top four in the opening run, also faded amid the deteriorating conditions. Zettel finished fifth and Brem seventh.

Frenchwoman Taina Barioz couldn't replicate her dream opening run, skiing a tentative second run that was more than a second slower than Rebensburg's to wind up ninth.

Marie-Michel Gagnon of Lac-Etchemin, Que., moved up from 23rd to 21st to finish as the top Canadian in her Olympic debut.

Gagnon said she can draw inspiration from Rebensburg, a fellow 20-year-old.

"I know I can ski to her level. In FIS races last year, I was in front of her. I know one day I will be there, hopefully in 2014."

Whistler's Britt Janyk went from 29th to 25th, Shona Rubens of Canmore, Alta., fell from 22nd to 28th, and Marie-Pier Prefontaine of Mont Saint-Sauveur, Que., dropped from 27th to 29th.

American star Lindsey Vonn crashed out of Wednesday's run, breaking her right pinkie finger when she smashed through a gate as she skidded off the course. The injury shouldn't prevent her from racing in Friday's slalom.